Path of the Chosen One
by indianavader
Summary: An AU fic dealing with Anakin Skywalker that follows ROTS up through the rescue of Palpatine. This is my first story, and yes, Anakin is extrememly powerful.
1. Nightime Visions

_Anakin...Anakin...Anakin Skywalker_

Again, the quiet, almost imperceptible voice echoed almost as if it were carried by the slight breezes so common to the waterfall region of Naboo. Anakin was walking alone in the moonlight by the edge of the very river where he had his first picnic with Padme. He had been here many times, but always he was with his wife. Even as this thought came to mind, he wondered why she was not here with him now. This was one of their favorite resorts, as it was always an escape from their busy lives, and other than the indigenous animal life, they were always alone. Now, this voice floating as if on a zephyr had broken that feeling of isolation that had so long been associated with this area.

As Anakin reflected on these things, he was suddenly taken in a vision where he traveled rapidly down the river to the base of a medium sized waterfall. At this point, the vision carried him underwater, and right through a massive rock wall into an enormous cavern with a ghostly specter standing in the center. It seemed to be covered by a robe of a Jedi Master. The covered figure then raised its head and whispered, "Your destiny is at hand." Anakin started to respond, but the vision rapidly fled from his sight, and he found himself lying in his bed, sweat covering his face and taking rapid, shallow breaths.

"Anakin, are you alright?"

Anakin looked over to see his beautiful, yet concerned wife rubbing the sleep from her eyes. As she came nearer to move his damp hair from his face, the moonlight shone through the window and seemed to envelope her in an almost heavenly glow. To Anakin, this beam of light seemed to even enhance her unsurpassable beauty. She caught him admiring her, and a knowing smile came to her lips. He embraced his wife, and kissed her deeply.

"Do you know how much I love you, Padme?" he queried.

"Yes," she replied, "but I will never tire of hearing it."

"Go back to sleep," he said. "I need to think some things over"

"Please just stay with me until I fall asleep again," she said. As he kissed her again, he replied, "You know I would never dream of anything else."

----------------------------

Anakin felt the cool night air race across his face, and it seemed to invigorate him. He quickly arrived at the Jedi temple, and made his way down to the archives.

"Don't you ever sleep, Anakin?" asked the librarian. "Your studiousness surpasses any Jedi I have ever heard of, including Master Yoda."

"Well," he replied, "he's had hundreds of years to gain his knowledge. I've got to try to catch up somehow."

She just laughed as he made his way to the ancient archives section, where he would be alone even if he came here in the middle of the day. It always seemed strange to Anakin that only the occasional Jedi would ever bother to come and try to gain knowledge through the study of the ancients and their ways, because this very thing consumed him.

Anakin had been completely absorbed by three things in his life over the past few years. First and foremost was his wife, Padme. She would always occupy his thoughts, as she was the very center of his life, the main reason he continued his struggle for self improvement. He couldn't imagine a life without her, and wondered how he had even managed his time apart from her from their first meeting on Tatooine to that joyous occasion when he was called to watch over and protect her by the Jedi Council. He knew that even though the Clone Wars often called him away, no force in the universe would separate them for long.

The second area of Anakin's obsession was born from his desire to improve his skill with the lightsaber. Ever since his defeat on Geonosis by Count Dooku, he had been obsessed with becoming the best lightsaber fighter ever. This is one of the reasons he would pour over the ancient texts, looking for any method or combination of methods that would improve and hone his skills. He had already found quite a bit of success, as he uncovered sword fighting styles that had remained hidden for millennia, many of which even Yoda didn't know. It helped having a partner to train with in Obi Wan Kenobi, as he could practice his new found knowledge, and both had vastly benefited from Anakin's obsession. It had paid off, too, in his most recent fight with Count Dooku.

Anakin realized early on that Dooku wasn't even a match for him, especially after he had mastered Dooku's form of combat. He was a little discouraged, however, that after all of their practices together Obi Wan went down so quickly. To be fair, however, Obi Wan hadn't studied Dooku's fighting style, and Anakin had mastered that form, along with many others, solely in self practice and the programming of fighter droids. Not many people used the fighter droids anymore, as they had been known to have killed a number of Jedi in unfortunate accidents in the past. In order to get the full benefit from using them, you had to allow them deadly force. Anakin, however, wasn't worried at all by such a thing. He was too good. In fact, there wasn't a Jedi alive that was a true challenge for him. He was even the greatest swordsman that most of the current Jedi had ever heard of.

The third facet of his life that had completely occupied his every free moment, while tied closely to the second reason, differed in the fact that he would also study the ancient records specifically searching for different and lost ways of manipulating the force itself. He had already discovered things that had been forgotten for generations that had truly made him a force to be reckoned with. In fact, Yoda was so pleased with his dedication to studying, that he had allowed him access to special records that weren't kept in the general archives. These were records that the Jedi council had kept hidden from the rest of the universe, as they contained special and secret Jedi information. There was still enough knowledge contained in these records to keep a group of Jedi occupied for millennia, so there was much to be learned no matter who had the access. The only stipulation for this access was that Anakin would share with Yoda any new lightsaber techniques, and they would practice them together.

Even so early after being allowed the access, Anakin had uncovered much information, and Yoda and he had already gone through and mastered several new force techniques and lightsaber forms. Even though some of these were only minor variations of the better known styles, these subtle differences often made the difference between victory and defeat.

Something that had facilitated Anakin's learning was the fact that he had uncovered a method of meditation, whereby he would only need to sleep a normal night's rest once a month, and this meditation would only require 15 minutes of strict isolation each evening. Any chance he had he would still be with his wife, but often while she slept he would be at the Jedi temple searching the records. He also had uncovered a Jedi method of rapidly assimilating information that had allowed him to thoroughly cover hundreds of years of information in only a few months. He truly was surpassing anything that the current Jedi had ever known or heard of.

His studies tonight resumed with where he had ended the previous night. He read of a group of Jedi Masters that had each dedicated their lives to the lightsaber forms. There were twelve of these Jedi, and they were some of the best fighters in the history of the order. As Anakin read further, he found that one of the Jedi was swayed by the dark side of the force, and broke off from the others. The information became sketchy, but it seemed from what he could ascertain that the fallen Jedi had created a form of saber fighting in which the wielder could not be defeated. _Could this be possible?_ thought Anakin. One last piece of information presented itself. It was a holocron preserving the image of the leader of the 11 who remained true. Anakin stared in amazement at the figure as it was the very personage that he had seen in vision scarcely an hour ago. He resolved to visit the waterfall area the next day, as soon as his Jedi duties permitted.

On his way back from the secret Jedi archives, Anakin ran into Yoda.

"Studying again, are you? Very driven, you are!"

"Yes Master Yoda. It looks like you can't sleep yourself."

"Early riser am I," Yoda said. "Uncovered new information, have you? Looking forward to dueling with you in long forgotten forms, I am."

"Master Yoda, may we talk in private a moment."

"Yes, Yes. Come to my quarters, you must."

Yoda sat in silence after hearing of Anakin's vision and the information he had uncovered. "Disturbing this information is. Relieved of your duties for a time you are. Go to the area in your vision you must."

"Master Yoda, is it possible a Sith created a lightsaber form that can't be defeated?"

"Heard I have of such a thing. Padawan learner was I, but doubted this I did. To the waterfalls of Naboo you must go. Many answers there I see. Report again when back you come."

As Anakin left Yoda's quarters, he realized it was still much too early to go to Naboo. After all, he couldn't leave for Naboo without seeing Padme first, and she wouldn't be awake for a few hours. He needed to find something to occupy his time, and he knew of just the thing.

"Come on, Obi Wan. Time to get up. You've been dying to spar with me, and this will be our only chance for a little bit."

"Okay I'm up, I'm up. Meet me in the training room in half an hour."

Anakin hadn't been the only one struggling to improve himself after the first fight with Dooku. Obi Wan had realized that as good as he was, he still had a ways to go, and had been dedicating much of his time to practice. He didn't have the free time Anakin had, however, as he was one of the chief diplomats that the Jedi council would send to solve various problems throughout the galaxy. Although he was frequently able to solve difficult situations peacefully, he was a skillful warrior, and one of the best swordsmen currently in the Jedi order. After his quick defeat by Dooku the second time, however, he had decided it wouldn't happen again.

He also started going through ancient holocrons, and had uncovered something he knew Anakin hadn't come across yet which occupied most of Obi Wan's free time for the past few months in perfecting this new style. Although he didn't like to let his feelings get the best of him, he couldn't wait to see Anakin's face when he introduced this new form in their sparring. Anakin sensed he had something good to show, though, and was also a little disappointed they hadn't gotten a chance to practice together since Obi Wan had been back from his latest assignment. But now, at long last, that wait was about to end.

Anakin jumped back in slight amazement as Obi Wan swung through a graceful combination in a style he wasn't familiar with. "You've been practicing, Master," Anakin said as he parried a blow, and threw a quick strike of his own.

"Well, I can't let you get all the glory," Obi wan replied.

Their lightsabers flashed and seemed to move in a harmonious web of light and sound. After an hour of non stop fighting, Obi Wan spat in anger at the tip of a lightsaber held at his throat, his own thrown to the other side of the room.

"How is this possible? I spend the last three months perfecting this style, and you're able to learn it better than I know it solely by fighting with me for the past hour."

"Life's not fair sometimes, Master. You did fight incredibly well, though."

"Oh, thanks a lot." Obi Wan shot back. Still, he smiled to himself at how gifted Anakin was. It truly was amazing, and he couldn't help but feel a small sense of pride at having been the Master of so gifted an apprentice. _After all_, he thought, _doesn't the ability of a pupil correlate at least partly with the ability of the Master?_


	2. Ancient Visitor

Thanks to the reviews. I realize the paragraphs were too long, and I tried to make it work by breaking it up a little better. Hope it works out for you.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anakin had hurried home, anxious to spend what time he had left with his wife before he started off to Naboo. He found it slightly ironic that he would be traveling to Naboo, his wife's home planet, and even to one of her favorite locals, and yet she would not be able to be there with him.

Padme opened her eyes to find Anakin in bed next to her, a slight smile across his lips.

"Don't pretend you've been there all this time, Anakin. I can see you're freshly showered."

"I wouldn't dream of it, and I know I can't deceive you anyway. You're too smart for me. But now that you're up, I have some good news. I get to go and spend some time on Naboo. Yoda gave me leave to go and check something out."

Padme couldn't hide the jealosy in her eyes. "That's not fair. I'm stuck in meetings for most of the day, while you'll be having the time of your life doing whatever "Jedi" business it is you have on Naboo."

"That's the price you pay for being a senator, M'lady. Just try to get a little time off if you can, especially if the meetings aren't all that important. We haven't been able to spend any time together there since our honeymoon."

Padme let out a long sigh. "Alright, I'll see what I can do. I really want to see my family again too. Until then, I have two hours until I need to be at a meeting with senator Organa. What would you like to do in the meantime?"

A smile came to Anakin's lips. "Oh, I'm sure we'll come up with something," he said, as he brought the lips of the love of his life to his own.

-------------------------------------------

Anakin's Jedi starfighter gently landed on the platform of the central Naboo docking area. His craft was unique among all of the Jedi, as he had custom designed it using his incredible skills as a mechanic. Not only did he triple the shield strength, but he added zero gravity boosters that made his already extremely agile ship more maneuverable than any known craft in the universe. If any other fighter tried to make the turns he did, they'd lose consciousness, but he had the added benefit of the force. He also improved the engines so that this already incredibly fast fighter could double the speed of the other Jedi craft. He even was able to modify a cloaking device so that it could be used on his small ship. He then added armaments by making two reverse laser cannons, adding an ion cannon, and modifying proton torpedoes so his ship could carry miniature versions that had the same explosive impact. Most of these modifications, however, he kept hidden from all save Obi -Wan, whose own ship Anakin slightly modified.

As he descended the ramp, the docking officer met him. Anakin stopped suddenly as a wave of the most tremendous evil filled his mind. During his studies, Anakin had developed a force power that allowed him to read others minds, but he was told by Yoda that this power was used mainly by the Sith because of its intrusive nature. Over time Anakin had noticed that although he could intrude and read the minds of upright individuals if he wanted to invade their privacy, the ability self activated around those whose thoughts were in line with the Sith. He had spotted many a criminal in the past by this ability, and it had helped him to know of dangerous situations before they even presented themselves.

This young deck officer, however, was worse than most. Anakin could read all of the murder, rape, theft, and malice that filled the soul this still young man before him, and how the low ranking officer reveled in it. It was as if every thought of the officer's was evil, and all good had left him.

Anakin's hand was on the hilt of his lightsaber, and it took a considerable amount of self control from ending the wretch's life as he stood before him. The only thing that stopped him was the fact that so many others were around, and it would look grim for a member of the Jedi order to end the life of another without any provocation.

Only one thing was left for Anakin to do. He reached out with the force, and erased the mind of the individual in front of him. Anakin never thought this force power would be of use to him, but even now he realized that there was a reason for everything in the force, and it just takes a matter of time before it is realized. The officer before him stumbled somewhat, and Anakin steadied him. Anakin had preserved the basics of function and identity in his memory, but destroyed the rest. This mans life was now a clean slate, and Anakin was curious to see how he would use it.

-------------------------------------------

Anakin closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. The very sent of this area was invigorating to him. He knew every small detail of this field and the surrounding waterfalls, as this is where he had spent so many happy moments with his beloved Padme.

Most of their honeymoon was spent in this area, as Padme's family owned all the land, including the nearby mountain and lake with its surrounding country. This provided a wonderful respite as it truly was secluded from the rest of the world, a perfect retreat for those trying to hide their love from society.

As Anakin walked the edge of the water, replaying in his mind the many happy moments of his life in this paradise, he recognized an ethereal trail from his dream, and went immediately to the waterfall he saw scarcely a day ago in vision.

There was nothing particularly out of the ordinary with this specific waterfall, which made it all the more intriguing to him. Anakin trained his thoughts, and used the force to divert the falling water, only to expose a large boulder that seemed to meld into the rock wall behind it.

He easily manipulated it out of the way with scarcely a thought, and what remained was a dark recess into the cliff side. Anakin made sure he could sense no one else in proximity, and entered the gaping abyss. Once inside, he allowed a force ball to illuminate the walls that had remained unseen for possibly millennia.

He was amazed to see the wall covered in ancient Jedi holocrons and runes, many of which were familiar to him from his studies. As he neared what appeared to be the center of the room, an apparition slowly became visible barely a few feet from where he stood.

"It is an honor to meet you Anakin, for long have I awaited the arrival of the Chosen One. My name is Konath Ordon, and I have summoned you here for an errand of great importance."

Anakin stood partially mesmerized by the ghostly figure before him. He had communicated on several occasions with the departed Qui-Gon Jinn, but he had known Qui-Gon well, while prior to his vision he had never before seen this man standing before him.

"I know you must have questions, but I ask you to clear your mind, and accept what I have to tell you. I was part of a brotherhood of Jedi that lived almost 6000 years ago. We had achieved through tremendous discipline and training the notoriety of being some of the greatest duelists the order had ever seen. Now I see that this started us on a dangerous path, for we took it upon ourselves to be sure to live up to our renown. Determined to become even more proficient in our skills, the twelve of us separated to areas of extreme isolation, and spent an entire year in meditation upon lightsaber forms, after which we reconvened to share with one another what our meditation had uncovered. Each of us had invented a new style, very similar to our personalities, yet completely new to what the universe had then known. Most of our styles were very defense oriented, yet there was one among us by the name of Tulak Hord who had returned with an offensive style so brutally effective and unrelenting that it could not be stopped by any known lightsaber form."

This name was known to Anakin. He had come across it several times in his studies, and had spoken of him with Master Yoda. Anakin knew him to be the greatest swordsmen of the Sith Empire, although information on his life and death was scarce to say the least. Anakin had tried to search out information on him earlier to no avail, and Yoda had counseled him to give it up. Little did he know that Tulak was actually the fallen member of the twelve he had read about the previous night.

"Tulak was the best swordsman among us, and he fought with a passion that was second to none, but neither I nor my other brethren anticipated the evil that would come from his time of meditation, nor the darkness, probably stemming from his pride, that had been in his soul prior to his year of solitude. To my great sorrow, I returned to our predetermined spot only to find three of my brethren slain. Little did Tulak know that although he slew their bodies, their time in meditation had allowed them a closeness in the force that allowed them to continue almost as corporeal forms, yet still be at one with the force. They were the first to attain such an existence which ability was well known for ages, although this knowledge was lost from the world for roughly one thousand years before a Jedi that is well known to you discovered it anew."

"Qui-Gon Jinn," remarked Anakin. It gave him a strange pleasure to know that his former mentor had been able to rediscover such a powerful force technique that had been lost for ages.

"These of my slain brethren informed me of what Tulak had done, how they were betrayed, and how their lightsaber forms were ultimately ineffective against his powerful new style. Fortunately, my fallen comrades were able to ascertain certain moves and timing of Tulak's form, and when the other seven arrived, we all went immediately together to a secret underground facility to discuss what action to take. Luckily for us, Tulak's embrace of the dark side had made him inherently fearful of what we could do with our yet unknown lightsaber forms, and he had fled before I and the remainder of my brethren arrived."

Anakin listened intently to the information unfolding before him.

"I say we were lucky as from what our fallen brothers had conveyed to us, none of us would have been able to defeat him. If we all had arrived at the same time there might have been a chance, but history wasn't so kind. We decided at that meeting that although each of us had been gone for a year, the safety of the galaxy was more important than our physical comfort. We began another period of isolation, yet this time we were together, even with the spirits of our slain brothers. Our sole purpose was to develop a style that could counteract Tulak's."

"When we left six months later, we had succeeded in our task, yet we soon learned devastating news. Tulak had destroyed much of the Jedi order during our time away. One positive note was the fact that Tulak had been killed scarcely a month earlier by an apprentice he had taken to help him in his evil conquests. His apprentice apparently became frustrated that Tulak wouldn't share his secret lightsaber form, and murdered him while he slept."

"It was rumored that Tulak recorded his secrets on a holocron, but no one could recover it though many searches commenced. Afraid that someone might uncover this holocron, we decided to train others in the style we had developed. To our dismay, it was such a demanding and difficult style, that many who attempted to learn it became seriously injured by their own hands. Deeming this type of fighting too dangerous, we took it upon ourselves to hide it from the world, and protect it with our lives, until one came who could learn what we had discovered, and use it to bring an end to the Sith once and for all, the Chosen One of prophecy. Our only solace came from the fact that although what we had created took such tremendous skill that only few would ever be able to learn it, Tulak's form required even a more able wielder, so even if the holocron were discovered, the knowledge might be of no avail to the finder."

Anakin was truly in awe at the information that had just been presented to him. What could he say to all of this? Somewhat even to his surprise, he simply said, "So when do we start."


	3. The Art of Dayoro

Note: It was brought to my attention that I had a review block on. Didn't even know that. Sorry, I'm just new at this

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anakin switched off his lightsaber, the past hour having been the most intense hour of training in his life. This new lightsaber form, named Dayoro by the ancient eleven, seemed so liquid, so natural, that it was almost an extension of his very movement, yet he was in awe at the grace, efficiency, strength, and capability of this new style.

"You truly are the Chosen One of prophecy. Never could I have believed that the art of Dayoro could be mastered in an hour's time, yet here we all have witnessed it. We truly will see the fulfillment of the ancient prophecy."

Although Anakin had been referred to as the Chosen One by his teachers and peers on almost a daily basis, it still seemed a little uncomfortable for him to think that he was the one that was written about thousands of years earlier. Yet, in it all, who could deny Anakin's skill and abilities?

Dubbed "The Hero with no Fear", his abilities had spread beyond that of the Jedi. His knowledge and use of military tactics and his unparalleled skill as a pilot had single handedly turned the tide of many a battle during the Clone Wars.

Never had the universe seen such a powerful and skilled being. The force was present in him more so than any being that had ever carried a physical body, and this only enhanced his transcendent physical abilities.

Not only was he naturally a superb pilot, but his ability with the force transformed him into the best pilot that had ever existed in the history of the galaxy. His abilities with machinery and repair were second to none, and his lightsaber skill was legendary. Truly, he was the most formidable and dangerous being to ever live.

"Anakin, part of the prophecy that has been lost to the world speaks of great warriors long since departed teaching their lost arts to the Chosen One in order to help him bring an end to the Sith empire once and for all. This is why we bring you here at this time."

"We pray that you may never need to use Dayoro, yet we know that it will save your life in the future. To further help you in your quest, I would like you to take the armor of destruction and vengeance."

Konath gestured to the opposite wall, where Anakin beheld a suit of complete blackness that seemed to radiate power and death. The helmet had a very ominous appearance, having a sloping black top, with a face covering that looked almost as if it were a metallic skull. It coruscated with an eerie light that seemed to paradoxically engulf the light around it into swirling darkness.

He then saw a breastplate, shoulder armor, gauntlets, and boots that all carried within them the same power and presence. To complete the sinister image were flowing black robes and a menacing cape that combined to make a truly awesome picture.

"This armor was the armor of legend anciently. It was said to have been spawned by the dark side of the force itself, through an ancient Sith named Darth Vader, whose power, strength, and ability were second to none. It took the entire order to defeat him, and many great Jedi Masters fell that day."

"But why have I never heard of this Darth Vader?" asked Anakin.

"To finally defeat him, many Jedi took it upon themselves to study the dark side of the force, and many fell to its seductive power. After the fall of Lord Vader, the leaders of the order took it upon themselves to destroy any known information on that Dark Lord of the Sith so as to prevent any such thing from happening in the future. I am sure, however, that his legend still exists among the Sith."

"If they underwent such lengths to destroy all information on him, then why preserve his armor?" queried Anakin.

"The reason is two fold. The armor, as we know it, is indestructible. Even a lightsaber can't make a mark on the helmet. The second reason deals with another part of the prophecy that has been lost to the universe. It is written that the Sith would finally be destroyed by a being who would be an equal to the greatest of the Sith to ever live, who would come in his visage but be an emissary of the light."

Anakin didn't revel in the idea of wearing armor that seemed to be a receptacle of the dark side of the force, but he couldn't help but be impressed by the sheer power and dominance this ancient suit seemed to exude.

"I must also warn you, Anakin, that a young Jedi tried to don the armor after the fall of Darth Vader, and he was instantly destroyed by its power. Apparently, the bearer must be an exceptional wielder of the force."

"Oh," Anakin muttered to himself. "Great. Just what I needed to hear."

"We will finally see the day of the end of the Sith, but remember, Anakin, that Tulak's lightsaber form, although utterly offensive in nature, inherently has such defensive fundamentals, that it truly seems to be capable of defeat only by one who also knows the form. What we have shown you will enable you to survive any encounter, but victory is another matter entirely."

"I thank you for your instruction, Master Ordon, and I have but one favor to ask of you and your colleagues," Anakin said.

"What else can we do for the Chosen One?" Konath asked.

"Could each of you teach me the light saber forms you developed in your respective years of meditation?"

A smile came to the ghostly lips of the departed master. "When would you like to begin?"

Anakin had never learned so much so quickly in his entire life. The past three days had been spent more or less entirely in the hidden cavern, but it had been time well spent.

He had mastered all the ancient saber masters hidden forms, and had learned much else in conversing with their spectral forms and pouring over the ancient holocrons and records.

As he headed away for the time being, he decided to leave Vader's armor in the cavern until the time he needed it, knowing that it would be well hidden and protected. With nothing left to occupy his time, he decided to head to his starfighter to see if Padme would be able to meet him on Naboo.

One of the many benefits of such a gifted mechanic is the ability to modify communications and set up secure channels, even lines that couldn't be monitored by the republic or the Jedi council. Part of Anakin hated the deceit, but his love for Padme outweighed any feelings of guilt from such duplicity, and he needed more than anything a way to safely communicate and set up surreptitious rendezvous.

He was ecstatic when he had a message waiting for him upon arrival at his ship. Seeing her petite figure on the holovid made him realize how much he missed her, even though they had only been apart the past few days.

"Anakin, it looks like I'll be able to be in Naboo in two days. I can't wait to see you, and relive some of our best memories there. I'll meet you at my parents house in two days. I love you."

With that, the message ended. It had been sent a day ago, which meant that he would soon be reunited with his beloved angel. He was even excited to see his in-laws again, too. It had been far too long since the last time he was here on Naboo.


	4. Naboo Reunion

Note: This chapter has a different feel to it, but I wanted to work in Ruwee, Jobal, and Sola.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was actually Anakin's idea to tell Padme's family about their marriage, and they were the only others outside of R2D2 and C3PO to know. Even though Padme thought it would be dangerous to reveal their secret to anyone else, Anakin knew how much it would mean to her to tell her parents and sister, and whenever Anakin was around her family, he could sense no duplicity whatsoever, only genuine love and concern. He knew they would accept this, even if not at first, and then maintain their confidentiality.

Even more important, however, is that Padme wouldn't have to keep the most joyous and important fact of her life from those she loved the most. He remembered vividly how they broke the news to them in the living room of their parents home, and how her mother had cried and cried about not being able to be at her own daughters wedding. Their love for each other was obvious to their whole family, so it wasn't a complete shock to them.

He remembered Ruwee's initial skepticism over their ability to keep this marriage secret, but quickly seeing great benefit as Padme's life seemed to be constantly in danger, and who better to protect her than Anakin Skywalker, hero of the Clone Wars. Anakin's fame had spread throughout the galaxy, not excluding Naboo and Theed, and even Ruwee and Jobal's grandchildren would pretend they were Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi when they were playing, but Anakin was always the first chosen. Ruwee knew that Anakin's love for Padme would send him from one end of the galaxy to the other in pursuit of her safety and happiness.

As for Sola, she was simply overjoyed that this pair who obviously loved each other had finally become one, that maybe her sister could maintain that happiness that seemed absent from her life until she met Anakin, and that her children would soon have cousins with whom they could play. Anakin had always liked Sola. She was always so accepting of him, even if he felt she could read him and his feelings toward Padme too easily. He just assumed that it's a gift the Naberrie's as a whole possessed.

As Anakin approached the Naberrie home, he met Ruwee leaving on his way to work.

"Anakin," he shouted, running to give his son in law a hug.

"Hello dad."

"What brings you here son?"

"Well, I had some Jedi business here I needed to attend to, but it's taken care of. Now you have to put up with me until Padme gets here."

"Fantastic. I'll try to get off work a little early, so just make yourself at home. Jobal will be happy to see you."

"See you soon," Anakin said, as Ruwee walked away.

As Anakin watched him go, he realized how this man had truly become the father he never had. He loved his conversations with him, his wisdom that had come from life experience, and his love for his family. In many ways he is what Anakin hoped to become as a father figure in his future family. Jobal, although not his own mother, had done a wonderful job filling a void that had been left since Shmi had died. She was just as kind and caring, and loved Anakin like the son she never had. Even her cooking was excellent.

Anakin walked in their home, and was greeted by two small children running up and jumping into his arms.

"Uncle Anakin, Uncle Anakin" they both shouted.

"Hey you two, it looks like you guys need a ride on a tauntaun." he said, as he nimbly threw each one around to his back, and held them there with each arm, and then ran around the home, bucking and jumping as the children laughed merrily.

Sola watched from the kitchen, amazed that such a famous war hero could cast off that persona and play with children as if he were one of them. _What would his enemies think if they saw him now_, she thought.

"It looks like a tauntaun has arrived just in time for breakfast, that is, if it's hungry." At that, Anakin ran over to the table, dropping the kids off on the couch.

"When am I not hungry" he replied.

Both Jobal and Sola came over to embrace Anakin. Jobal was so pleased that Padme had married, and had married a man such as Anakin. He was courageous, honorable, helpful, and she could tell the depth of his love for her daughter was unparalleled.

She was, however, discouraged that they had to keep their marriage secret, as it made the possibility of seeing them more infrequent than she would like, and she also knew that she shouldn't expect grandchildren from them anytime soon as it would more than likely lead others to discover the secret they had tried so hard to keep hidden. She knew how much they wanted children, and that made her feel sorry for them in their situation.

After they had caught up on recent events and shared a particularly good breakfast, they went out to their garden to just sit and enjoy the afternoon. Both Sola and Jobal noticed how distant Anakin seemed, and became a little uneasy.

Jobal was the first to speak up. "What's wrong Anakin?"

"Oh nothing," he replied. "This garden is truly beautiful, and I feel so peaceful here, but there is a void that is always present whenever Padme isn't here with me."

Sola fought to keep her composure. She was touched by the depth of his love for her sister, and felt even a tinge of jealousy at the fact that she couldn't picture her own husband saying those words. It had been three months since she last saw Darred, as he was a freighter pilot that was gone sometimes for 4 month intervals. He earned very little, and it seemed that they never had any money.

As a result they had moved in with her parents, which worked out well because she didn't feel as isolated when he was gone for months and months. Even though he was gone for such long periods, he would only call home to check on them maybe once or twice a week, and she somehow couldn't see Anakin lasting 24 hours if the situations were reversed. She tried to alter her thoughts by offering him some solace.

"Don't worry, Anakin," she said. "Padme is arriving later this evening, by herself nonetheless, so you'll be with her again soon enough."

"What do you mean by herself?" he asked. "Surely her security officer is with her."

"She said she gave him the week off so that she could be with you without raising suspicions."

Anakin frowned inwardly. He didn't like the thought of his wife traveling to him alone, especially a senator, and such a beautiful young female senator at that.

"I'll just have to go and make sure that she makes it home safely."

------------------------------

Later that evening, Anakin watched in anticipation as he felt the presence of his wife on the craft that just landed. He stayed back in the shadows of freighter boxes so that he would remain unnoticed, but had to force himself to not run up and embrace Padme as she descended the boarding ramp. It was still light enough outside that he would have to wait a little longer until he revealed himself to her.

As Padme made her trek down a side street to the public transport, she wondered if Anakin was nearby. She had a feeling that he would be, especially if he knew she were alone.

She didn't particularly enjoy the thought of traveling down this less crowded street at this time of night, but she had handled situations much worse on many occasions, and if by some chance Anakin wasn't around, she did have her small laser pistol from her days as Queen of Naboo concealed in her garment.

As she rounded the final turn en route to her destination, strong hands gripped her arm and pulled her savagely into a dimly lit alley. A dagger was quickly placed against her throat, and she stared into the face of her tall, corpulent assailant when he whispered, "Well, aren't we a pretty little …." The words had scarcely escaped his mouth when she saw him launch into the air away from her at a sickening speed and crash into the opposite rock wall hard enough to send him, or at least the main part of him, through it. Within a mere second, she felt Anakin's strong arms around her carrying her away from the awful scene as a wave of relief rushed through her.

"Are you okay Angel?" he asked.

It had happened so quickly, that it barely had time to register in her mind, yet the awful realization of what might have happened came down upon her in a sudden wave of emotion. She began to sob as Anakin held her tightly in his arms. "Anakin, if you hadn't been here I…"

"Don't even think about it Padme. I was here, and he won't hurt anyone else ever again." With that he took her face in his hands and said, "no matter what happens, I would give my life and everything I am to protect you."

Knowing that Anakin was the man that he is gave her a sudden feeling of safety and warmth. She brought her lips to his and kissed him with all the longing and passion that had she had been forced to suppress in his absence.

"Please don't tell my parents about this. They worry enough about me as it is, and I don't want to add anything to that."

"Your wish is my command, M'lady." he replied, just glad that they were now able to travel together under the cover of night.

----------------------

As they entered Padme's room late that evening, Anakin noticed a slight change in his wife. He was surprised he hadn't paid much attention to it before, but it was so slight, so much a very part of her that it was easy to miss. While pondering on what this could be, his thoughts were broken by Padme's voice.

"Ani, I have something to tell you, and I wanted to be standing here in my room with you when you heard it. Ani, I'm pregnant."

Anakin felt at this moment such a profound happiness and joy, that he didn't know how to express himself. He realized that it was the life inside her womb that he had felt, and understood that he knew his wife so well and the life force that she emanated , that he could perceive something even as tiny as his unborn child.

"Anakin, are you okay?"

"Padme, this is one of the happiest moments of my life, and I can't even begin to express to you the joy I feel right now." With this, he took his wife in his arms and kissed her deeply.

Padme silently reprimanded herself for thinking Anakin might be upset about this news. Pulling herself from these thoughts, she asked, "How are we going to keep our marriage secret now?"

"Let's not worry about it," he said, almost whispering it in her ear. "It will work itself out, I know it will. I promise you that I will make whatever sacrifices I need to in order to ensure that our family is together."

Padme was overjoyed at his response, and in that moment caught a glimpse of the depth of love and happiness her future would hold with her husband and children.

"Padme, I can't wait to share this news with your family tomorrow. They'll be so happy."

"I know," she said, still in a state of reverie. "Sola can quit bothering me now about giving her kids cousins to play with."


	5. Second Chances

Note: I really debated taking out the Aayla section, but ended up leaving it in for some awkward tension. Sorry if you don't like it.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The past week had been absolute heaven for Anakin. He was able to be with Padme uninterrupted for seven straight days, and they were able to grow even closer to one another and strengthen their love. They were able to visit all their favorite places, and relive their choicest memories. It was almost as if time stood still for him, and he felt as if this was truly heaven. There were no Jedi or senatorial responsibilities. All that existed was a husband and wife and her family.

Anakin was truly grateful that Padme's family had accepted him as one of their own. He had felt a certain emptiness in his life since his mother died, and that void was now filled, yet his love for them paled in comparison to the love he had for his wife. He cherished her above all else, and didn't know what he did to deserve such a woman. She was truly a part of him; she consumed him, and filled his very soul. He couldn't imagine life without her, and didn't want to even attempt it. He knew that he would be a walking corpse without her in his life.

He now watched his wife board her ship with his unborn child, and felt uneasy about leaving her, not being able to be with her right now, to protect his small family. As he started the journey to his own starfighter, he thought to himself that if any force whatsoever in the universe tried to keep them apart, he would be relentless in its destruction.

After a few minutes, he was nearing the alley where his wife was attacked just one week ago. _What would have happened had I not been there_? Just then, he heard muffled sounds coming from that very alley.

"Wonderful" he muttered. He hurried around the corner to see a man on top of a woman at the end of the alley, a blaster held to her temple while he was cutting her skirt with his free hand.

Using the force to speed his movements, Anakin was there in a split second, and put the full weight of his movement into a monstrous kick aimed squarely at the mans face. He felt most of the mans teeth give out as the kick lifted the assailants body a good four feet into the air and up against the opposite wall. Before the man could blink, he found a lightsaber point at the tip of his neck.

"I should kill you right here," Anakin said through clenched teeth. Suddenly, Anakin realized that he knew this man. Even without most of his teeth and blood running down his face and neck, Anakin could recognize the deck officer whose mind he had erased upon arrival at Naboo.

"Please, Please, I'll do anything, just let me live," the man spit out half between his sobs and choking on his own blood.

"If you give me your word to never harm another woman, child, or sentient being in general, I will turn you over to the local police. Otherwise you die here and now."

"I promise, I promise, just let me go."

As Anakin switched off his lightsaber, he discerned the mans thoughts as easily as if they were spoken.

_Jedi fool, I promise I won't harm anyone…while I'm serving my short term of incarceration. _

With that, Anakin's lightsaber clicked on pointed straight at the man's forehead, the igniting blade easily passing through his skull. The weight of his lifeless body falling resulted in the lightsaber cleaving the top of his head in two.

Anakin turned to the woman, now struggling to get on her feet, and offered her his hand.

"Are you alright?"

The young woman was instantly in his arms, holding him tightly while sobbing into his tunic.

"Thank you so much, Oh thank you, thank you! I can't even imagine what was about to happen to me."

"It's alright now. I won't let anything happen to you. You're okay now" he said, holding her in his arms.

After a few minutes, Anakin walked the young woman over to a local police officer, and related what had transpired.

"Officer, this is the second violent act I have personally witnessed in the past week in that alley. I strongly recommend increased patrols through that area."

"Yes sir, master Jedi."

Anakin then turned to the young woman. "After you give the police your report, they will escort you home. I advise you not to travel alone down these streets. Theed is normally a very safe city, but anything can happen anywhere, and even more so to such a beautiful young woman."

"Wait," she said, "I don't know how to thank you. Will I ever see you again?"

"No thanks is necessary, and I'm sure I'll be around, but my duties take me all over the galaxy. I hope that if we meet again, though, it will be under more pleasant circumstances."

Anakin began to walk away, but the girl, no longer able to restrain herself, ran over to him, throwing her arms around his neck, and kissed him with all the emotion that was running through her body. When she broke away, she whispered, "Please come back and see me next time you're here," and with that she ran back to the waiting officer.

Anakin stared blankly, surprised by the event that had just taken place. He silently reprimanded himself for anything that he might have said that made her do that. He realized, however, that it's not the first time it had happened.

Ever since he became a young man, women had noticed him. He had received many secret letters and invitations from women of all ages with whom he had even a modicum of contact. Even Aayla Secura, after sparring with him a few years ago, had thrown herself upon him as their lips met in a passion that equaled their combat.

Through all of this, no matter what woman he happened to be with, no matter how beautiful or captivating, his thoughts always returned to Padme. He had loved her even then, and often wondered if she'd even remember him, and what her feelings toward him would be.

As a child he knew they were made for each other, but he questioned when he would actually get the chance to be with her. Then, after all of those long years, he finally met her again and he was able to win her heart, and he knew that Padme would always be the only woman that would truly have his. Now he just needed to tell her about this in a tactful manner, and try to avoid similar situations in the future.

Anakin forced himself to turn his thoughts to the deck officer. It saddened him greatly that the man continued in his life of debauchery after he had been given a clean slate, a new chance_. Can people be redeemed from their poor decisions? Do each of us follow a predetermined path? Am I doing so as the Chosen One? Should I have just killed him the first time I saw him? _

These thoughts were consuming him, and he felt sick at what had almost transpired. After all, Anakin felt that he would have been partly culpable if that woman was harmed. _I could've stopped his heartbeat, and no one would've noticed what was done, and then the world would have been saved from his corruption. Then again, don't people deserve a second chance? Who am I to take that from them?_

Anakin realized that thinking in these lines would get him nowhere. He couldn't change the past, so he resolved to continue his task and return to Coruscant to inform the council, especially Yoda, of what he had learned in his stay on Naboo.

------------------------------

"Aayla, are you even listening to me?"

Aayla Secura was brought back from her wonderful reverie to face the fact that she wasn't with Anakin, she was in the Jedi temple waiting for a new assignment while Len Abdor was trying to tell her of his latest accomplishments.

"Of course I am," she lied, "So what happened next?"

As Len continued his incessant babbling about what a powerful Jedi he was, her thoughts again turned to Anakin. Try as she might, she couldn't stop thinking about him, about the kiss she shared with him before they were parted on their respective journeys. _Come on, Aayla, don't do this. Jedi have no attachments, and you don't even know if he's interested. How long has it been now, over three years?_

Even though she knew it was better that Anakin was on assignment to Naboo, she was disappointed that she wouldn't even get to see him in her brief stay on Coruscant. After all, she'd been gone two straight years, and hadn't really seen much of the other Jedi, aside from her former Master. _What would you do if he were here anyway? _

_----------------------------------_

Anakin hurried through the halls of the Jedi temple. He normally would take the time to admire its grandeur as he walked along, but he was too impatient to share with Yoda his experience on Naboo.

As he rounded the corner, he saw Aayla and Len conversing in one of the corners. Then again, "conversing" didn't quite seem to fit. Aayla looked to be daydreaming, and Len was talking about something he'd done so loudly Anakin could hear him from here.

Anakin had quite a few run-ins with Len over the years. Apparently Len was the most promising of the Padawans before Anakin showed up. Even though Len had spent his life in the order, and was a few years Anakin's elder, Anakin was able to beat him in a Saber tournament after only two years of Jedi training, and never having held a lightsaber until he was nine years old.

Since that point, Anakin was recognized as the greatest and most promising of the padawans, and Len was not even given a second glance, which endlessly frustrated the older student. Of course Anakin realized this, and took great delight each time he was able to humble his arrogant elder.

"Hey Aayla, don't tell me this is your new sparring partner" quipped Anakin.

Aayla froze the second she heard his voice. She turned to see a slightly older Anakin, but his hair was much longer than it had been as a Padawan. Just the very sight of him sent a surging desire through her body, and it took everything she had to not jump into Anakin's arms and kiss him with the passion and longing she had harbored for him since their last meeting.

Suddenly she realized what he had said. _Oh no, he thinks I'm with Len!_ But before she had time to say anything, Anakin was already past them on his way to Yoda's quarters.

Len, slighted at Anakin not even so much as gesturing in his direction, refused to be ignored. All of the years of defeat, shame, and ridicule bubbled to his surface.

Unable to control this moment of jealousy and almost without thought, he hurled the fruit he had been eating at the back of Anakin's head, only to see it switch direction scarcely a foot from his hand, and fly squarely into his face. Anakin didn't even turn around to see the spectacle, but he heard Aayla quickly suppress a laugh.

---------------------

Anakin sat across from Yoda waiting for him to reply. He had always enjoyed coming to Yoda's meditation room, and hearing the wisdom of the aged Master as he helped Anakin work through whatever problem he was having. Anakin would frequently talk to him of his dreams, as early on in his life he noticed that many would come true.

Anakin always felt he could talk to Yoda, Obi-Wan, and Chancellor Palpatine, but the rest of the Jedi Council seemed aloof to him. He felt they didn't trust him, and often noticed that he was passed over on assignments that were seemingly perfect for him. At first he thought it was a method of instruction, but he came to realize over time that they were afraid of the power that he possessed.

He was already more powerful than all of them, and he had only been a Jedi Knight for 3 years. A Jedi Knight more powerful than all the Masters had not happened in the history of the Jedi Order, and he felt that Mace Windu especially felt slighted because of this. Many councils had been held on Anakin's natural gifts, and if he were this powerful now, where would he be a decade from now? That combined with his cavalier attitude made the council very wary of what would happen if he turned to the Dark Side of the force.

"Very interesting this news is," Yoda finally said. "Discuss this with the council I will. Prepared you must be to come before the council tomorrow."

"I understand Master Yoda. Thank you."


	6. An Ominous Dream

As Anakin left Yoda's quarters, he decided he'd better not go past Aayla and Len again, so he took a circuitous route to visit the Chancellor.

Anakin and the Chancellor had spent a few minutes catching up on what had happened recently in their respective lives. Although Anakin trusted his long time friend, he felt that for the time being he should keep his trip to Naboo strictly between himself and Yoda. After a few moments, the Chancellor's face turned somewhat grave.

"I need your help, son" Palpatine said, as he and Anakin walked along the hall of his main audience chamber.

"What do you mean?" Anakin replied.

"I'm depending on you to be the eyes, ears, and voice of the republic. Anakin, I'm appointing you to be my personal representative on the Jedi council."

Anakin was momentarily speechless. He was overwhelmed with the trust and confidence Palpatine expressed in him, especially in light of the frustration he felt with the councils distrust of him in spite of his abilities. Still, there was a certain hesitation akin to a warning in his mind as Palpatine spoke, but Anakin quickly suppressed it and felt guilty at doubting the intentions of his longtime friend and mentor.

"Me? A Master? I'm overwhelmed, sir, but the council elects its own members. They'll never accept this."

Palpatine only smiled, as he knew full well that the council would have no choice. He had sensed their misgivings about him, but needed an inside source in order to prove it.

"I think they will. They need you, more than you know. I need you too. I feel they don't trust me, and I'd like to know why."

Anakin was somewhat nonplussed by the Chancellor's response, but realized that this man hadn't achieved the rank of the most important political office in the galaxy by ignorance. "Yoda asked me to appear before them tomorrow. Would you like me to notify them of your appointment today, or should I wait for my meeting then."

"This can wait until tomorrow. Right now, you should take some much deserved and needed time for yourself. I'm sure you're anxious to get home and get some...much needed sleep."

Anakin's thoughts instantly turned to Padme. Even though he had only been away from her for a day, it felt much longer. He thanked the Chancellor and headed straight to the spacious apartment he shared with his wife, anxious to have her in his arms again.

-----------------------------

Anakin was looking helplessly down at his wife, in obvious pain, the echoing screams of a baby crying in the background.

"Anakin, help me! Please," Padme screamed, as another wave of pain rocketed through her body. Anakin was doing all within his power to help her, to use the force to calm her and heal her, but nothing was working. He saw her slipping further away, even further still.

With a start, Anakin woke up and immediately moved to the side of the bed. He was breathing heavily, beads of sweat dripping off is brow. He brought his hands up to his face, and tried to mentally force the last remnants of his horrible dream away. _I will not lose you, Padme, not like I lost my mother. _

Anakin walked over to their terrace to look up at the night sky. He gazed into the stars, trying to calm himself by using the force, forcing his mind to replay what he had dreamt in order to ascertain if this was truly precognition, or just a nightmare.

While he was in his meditative state, he caught a faint tracing of the force, but it carried with it an ominous feeling. At first he felt it was just the remnants of his bad dream, but then he noticed something very peculiar. This dark tracing seemed to be coming from a particular source.

Anakin reached out with the force, trying to trace the signature back to its origin. Within a few seconds, he achieved success. He had found the source, but the very finding of it almost caused him to break his concentration. It was a presence of pure evil and malice, and Anakin immediately recognized that this must be the Sith Master that the Jedi had been searching for relentlessly. Although focusing on this blight seemed to breathe pain and despair, Anakin was undaunted. He needed to know who this threat was, but what he found caused him to immediately awake from his trance. Palpatine.

Anakin's mind raced frantically. _Palpatine. How is this possible? The man that has befriended me, taught me, helped me through some of my most trying times. He is the Sith Lord? _Anakin grasped the railing of the balcony tightly in frustration. _How could I have been so blind? How have the Jedi not seen this? How have we been in the dark for so long?_ Then another grave thought hit him. _He knows that Padme and I are married_.

This was almost too much for him to accept. _Could I be wrong? After all, if this is a Sith Lord, could he manipulate me into thinking that I saw the Chancellor?_

Anakin decided to search again for the tracing, but it was fruitless. He couldn't find even the slightest hint of the force signature he had followed.

"Ani, what's bothering you?"

Padme's voice startled Anakin from his thoughts, and he turned towards his wife, the very presence of her dispelling any hint of worry or darkness from his presence. He thought of telling her it was nothing, but she knew him too well. She had always been able to read him, and she didn't have the force to help her. The fact is they were made for each other. It's as if their very souls were one, and therefore they knew and understood one another perfectly. Knowing that she wouldn't back down until she had the information she was seeking, he decided to tell her the truth, but not worry her about the possible source of the dream.

"It was a dream like the ones I used to have about my mother before she died, and it was about you."

"Tell me," she responded, obviously not satisfied that he had revealed enough.

"It was only a dream," he replied simply. Realizing that wouldn't appease her, he added, "You died in childbirth."

Padme became worried. She knew Anakin well enough after the experience with his mother to know that his dreams weren't to be taken lightly. "And the baby?" she asked.

"I don't know," he said. "But don't worry about it sweetheart. I promise you that I won't let anything happen to you. Come on, let's go back to bed."

----------------------------------

Palpatine's eyes shot open. He stood up from his chair as if he had been kicked out of it. _How could I have been so careless?_ he thought bitterly. _He knows. The question is, what will he do about it? The supposed knowledge to save his wife from a presumed death was the surest way to the dark side. Now, I will have to alter my plans. I've worked too hard to let this fall apart now._

_-----------------------------------------_

"I don't like it," Mace said. "He's too young. On top of that, he's arrogant. I don't trust him enough to make him one of us."

"The will of the force I believe this is," countered Yoda. "Search your feelings Master Windu."

Ki-Adi-Mundi spoke up. "I agree with your thoughts on the matter, Mace, but it would be easier to watch him more carefully if he were one with us."

"You have the majority, and that is all that is needed. I will accept this, but know that I don't like it," Mace grumbled. "On top of that, he's becoming too powerful. If he has truly gained this advanced lightsaber knowledge, he should share it with the council. I don't like the idea of him knowing things we don't."

"Already he knew before Naboo much we did not, by his constant study. Begrudge him that, will you?" Yoda shot back. "To Anakin Konath Ordon appeared, not to us. To Anakin he taught the forgotten forms. Even in their time, trusted this knowledge to the other Jedi they did not. Too difficult to master it was. Ask him to teach it to others we will not. Upon the Chosen One this burden lies. That is the will of the force."

Obi-Wan sat in silence. It was well known by all that he was a strong advocate for his former padawan, and he felt it better that he not say much right now. Besides, Yoda was behind Anakin also, and even though some in the council might disagree with the aged Master, they knew that he had a closer tie to the force than anyone save the Chosen One, so his advice was always followed.

"All right," Mace finally said, "bring Skywalker before the council."


	7. Jedi Master

Anakin Skywalker walked to the center of the room, and could sense a slight tenstion that still pervaded among the council. _I wonder what just transpired_, he thought.

As the senior member of the council, Yoda was the one to begin the discussion.

"Thank you we do for coming before us today. Fought well for the Jedi you have. Singlehandedly many battles you have won where others lost would have. Truly a hero of the Clone Wars you are, and strong are you with the force. Because of these things, elevate you to a Jedi Master and make you one of the council we do."

Anakin was awestruck. _Is this really happening? I can't believe that Mace Windu and Ki-Adi-Mundi would go along with this. Palpatine must have told them of his appointment._

"I thank all of you for this honor, and for your trust, and I promise you that I will do all within my power to be worthy of the title of Jedi Master." At that he looked at Mace, who was glaring at him. "The Chancellor spoke with you then?"

"What do you mean?" Mace queried.

Anakin realized he should have just kept quiet, but now it was too late. "Yesterday he asked if I would serve at his appointment on the Jedi council."

"The Chancellor has no authority over this council. We elect those whom we see fit, and no one, including the Chancellor, tells us who should join our ranks," Mace responded.

"Disturbing this information is," stated Yoda.

Obi-Wan spoke up, "Anakin, do you have any idea why he would ask this of you?"

Anakin hesitated before he answered. "I only know that he believes the council doesn't trust him," he responded.

Murmurs from the council members where heard on all sides. This is not the way Anakin had hoped things would go when he was made a Jedi Master. He had dreamed of this moment, but didn't think it would happen for at least a few more years. No one in the history of the order had ever been elected so young, and now he sensed doubt among some of the members in the course of action they had taken. He felt he must do something, must say something, to recover some ground. He had thought of keeping his dream last night to himself until he could ascertain the truth of it, but realized that now he had been given this trust, he should confide in his brethren.

"There is something else I must say to all of you." The room immediately fell to a hush, and he could sense that all attention was on him. "I have reason to suspect that the Chancellor is the Sith Lord for whom we have been searching."

The room immediately exploded into incredulous responses and expressions. "That's impossible," he heard one say. "What an absurdity," came from another. Yoda, in a rather forceful manner, commanded silence from the other Jedi Masters.

"What reason to believe this have you?" he asked.

Anakin knew he couldn't disclose the exact nature of his dream, but he felt he could talk his way around it.

"Master Yoda, Obi-Wan, you both should recall the dreams that I told you about that haunted me before the death of my mother. I experienced such a dream again last night, a dream that focused on someone I care about dying. When I awoke, I used the force to try to sense if this was of the force and in fact the future, or if it was just a nightmare. To my surprise, I found a force tracing, as if someone was projecting this dream specifically to me. I followed the force signature back to a presence of such darkness that I knew it must be the Sith Lord for whom have been searching. As I tried to focus on who the being was, I recognized that it was Palpatine. This caused me to lose my concentration, but when I tried to search for the tracing again to make sure I wasn't being deceived, I could no longer find it."

"You're sure you sensed Palpatine?" Mace asked.

"I'm positive I did. The thought crossed my mind afterward, however, that someone as powerful as a Sith Lord could impersonate the presence of another being to throw me off the trail."

The council was silent as everyone pondered upon what Anakin had divulged.

"Possible this is. Explain many things it does. Investigate this immediately we must," said Yoda.

"I volunteer to be on this mission," Anakin said.

"No," Mace said as if it were final.

Anakin began to grow irritated with his perpetual distrust.

"With all due respect, Master Windu, if this is true you will need me on this mission," Anakin retorted, barely able to conceal his impatience.

"If what you have said is true, then you will have come a long way in gaining my trust. Right now, I just find it incredibly dangerous for the two of you to be together."

Obi-Wan saw the anger at Mace's blatant prejudice change Anakins countenance. He knew he must say something quickly or this would get ugly.

"Anakin, the council has received word of the whereabouts of General Grievous. I had, only just prior to your coming here, received the assignment to go and see if these rumors were true. I know how much you have wanted to face Grievous in combat and make him pay for the deaths of so many throughout the galaxy, so I would like you to take my place, if you'll allow it, and I will stay to question the Chancellor." Obi-Wan ignored the scowl that Mace gave him, and awaited his friend's response.

Anakin truly wanted to face Grievous and rid the universe of his corruption. He had wished it many times through the myriad of battles he had fought and won against the Separatists, and he also saw how Obi-Wan was trying to provide a diplomatic way out of this awkward moment. _Always the Jedi, Obi-Wan. Always the Jedi._

"I would recommend two teams of at least four Jedi go to question the Chancellor. He will most likely be in either his personal quarters or the Senate's council room," Anakin finally responded.

Obi-Wan let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "I will go with Master Windu and two Jedi Knights to his private quarters. Master Yoda, will you lead the other team?"

"Meditate now I must. Grave danger I forsee. Another's path this is."

Ki-Adi-Mundi spoke up. "I will lead the mission with Master Fisto, Master Allie, and Luminara Unduli. We will immediately head for the council room. May the Force be with us."

As they turned to leave, Stass Allie said, "It's a good thing we all returned for Anakin's appointment. And here I thought I'd be getting a little break."

----------------------------------------

As Ki-Adi-Mundi and his team approached the council room, they saw Palpatine working at the main desk, seemingly oblivious to their arrival. Ki-Adi-Mundi stepped in and was followed closely by his companions. "Chancellor Palpatine. The Jedi Council would like to have a word with you."

Palpatine looked up, seemingly annoyed at their presence. "I'm busy," he said brusquely, and then suddenly he stopped writing. "And just why do you wish to speak with me?"

"Chancellor, I'm afraid this isn't a request, Ki-Adi-Mundi said, igniting his lightsaber. Each lightsaber of his companions then came on in succession, their soft humming sounding louder than normal in this eerie silence.

Palpatine slowly rose from his chair, the anger emanating from his being almost palpable to all present. "Are you threatening me, Master Jedi?" he said, the distain almost dripping from his lips.

Before Ki-Adi-Mundi could reply, a lightsaber shot down from Palpatine's robe into his hand and in a move that defied his age, the Chancellor leapt into the air in a spiral flight that cut down Kit Fisto before anyone recognized what was going on. Stass Allie and Luminara Unduli were somewhat slow to begin their defense, and they were both dead a second later. Ki-Adi-Mundi frantically backed out of the room, desperately trying to summon Mace Windu and Obi-Wan through the force.

Mace Windu and Obi-Wan Kenobi simply looked at one another, and then proceeded to turn and run as fast as the force would take them to the tremor they had felt as their fellow Jedi had fallen. They had also received a silent communication from their brother who was still alive, but before they were halfway to the Senate building, they both keenly felt Ki-Adi-Mundi fall to his death.

They burst into the council room, but there was nothing they could do but mourn for their fallen friends. There was no trace of the Chancellor, and they both realized that the biggest threat to the galaxy had just slipped right through their fingers. "I'm so sorry we weren't here for you," Obi-Wan whispered, and in his mind, he knew that if Anakin had been the one to confront Palpatine, things would have been different. _Your time will come soon, Palpatine_.


	8. Death of Grievous

Note: I realized while writing this chapter that action scenes are pretty difficult to write. Sorry if it doesn't flow very well. This is a little more violent than the others, so it earns the T.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anakin's starfighter descended onto the surface of Utapau. As he reached one of the large sinkholes where the capital city was built, he noticed what looked to be the skeletal remains of giant beasts covering most of the landing pads. _I am definitely going to have to read up on this place when I get back,_ he thought, intrigued by all that he saw. As he jumped out of the cockpit, a group of the natives approached him. They were all fairly tall and slender, and wearing black, except for the leader who was clad in red. As Anakin approached the group, the leader stepped forward to address him.

"Greetings young Jedi. What brings you to our remote sanctuary?"

"I've heard reports of happenings on your planet that I thought best investigated," he simply replied.

"There's no trouble here," the leader said, hesitating, "unless you brought it with you."

Anakin could sense the fear emanating from this being. He took a step closer and said in low tones, "Grievous is here, isn't he."

The red clad leaders visage suddenly changed. He replied in almost a whisper, "He is here. We are being held hostage. They are watching us. Tenth level. Thousands of battle droids."

This is the information that Anakin had waited so long to hear. "I'll take care of the main assembly. I'm sure that there are pockets spread throughout the city that you and your people will have to destroy. Are you able to fight?"

"We will do our part, but how will you defeat so many? Are you bringing additional warriors?"

"Don't worry," he said, raising his cloak over his head. "I'll take care of everything."

Anakin walked back to his ship, reaching out with the force to feel if he was being observed. Sure enough, he sensed a group of Grievous's personal bodyguards a few levels up monitoring his movements. As he opened the cockpit, he told R2D2 in a low voice, "Take the ship to the upper atmosphere, and circle the area until I call for you." At that, he clicked the cockpit closed and made a force enhanced run to the nearest darkened corner. As he saw his starfighter leave the landing pad, he felt the attention of the bodyguards turn to other matters, and he ran steathily to the development room.

It had been a long time since Anakin had ridden an animal, and this one was definitely a new experience for him. It resembled a giant lizard with a crown of feathers, yet it was fast and nimble, and just what Anakin needed to reach the tenth level quickly. He felt the damp air of the planet rush past his face as his mount sped along the rocky outcroppings on the way to Grievous. Unfortunately, this varactyl or dragonmount, as the natives called it, would occasionally let out shrieks that would echo throughout the entire sinkhole. If Anakin were to approach unnoticed, this would have to be silenced.

He reached out through the force, and communicated to the creature in a soothing manner the importance of silence. His dragonmount understood, and Anakin noticed that even the movements of the varactyl suddenly became unable to hear. _Good work _he conveyed, patting the creatures head.

------------------------------------

Yoda's eyes suddenly opened in his meditation chamber, a look of pain covering his features. He took a few seconds to use the force to calm his troubled thoughts, and then jumped down and moved as fast as his aged body was able to the nearest communications console. He then used his Jedi code to send a secure message to all of the various Jedi scattered throughout the galaxy who where leading the clone troopers in the battle against the Separatists.

"All Jedi should immediately leave their respective commands and seek refuge where able. Tell no one where you go. Grave danger I foresee if you delay. Turn command over to the Clones to continue the battle you must."

------------------------------------

Anakin dismounted the varactyl in the rafters above the main assembly room on the tenth level. He could see Grievous speaking to all the leaders of the Separatist movement, and realized that this truly was his chance to bring an end to the Clone Wars.

As Grievous was lecturing about the need to flee Utapau for a new system, Anakin surveyed the massive assembly hall, taking in the thousands of battle droids, super battle droids, and droidekas. _They must have gathered most of their force here in case I looked around before I left_ he thought. He reached over, and touched his new friend on the side of his head, and communicated is message. _Go quietly, and wait for me a level below_. His dragonmount then sped off silently, as Anakin contemplated his best course of action. A slight grin came to his face as he dropped down so that he was almost lying on a beam high above the room.

He then uncoupled his lightsaber, and threw it towards the center of the droid army. About three feet above the ground, he reached out with the force and ignited his lightsaber, sending it spinning at tremendous speeds in gradually enlarging circles that decimated everything within its wake. There was mass confusion as hundreds of droids were instantly destoyed, thousands of parts flying in all directions that then seemed to take on a life of their own, turning into projectiles that ripped through the metal shells of any droid in the way.

This confusion, along with the sheer suddenness of the attack, resulted in many of the droids firing wildly in all directions, destroying even more of the invasion army in the process. While focusing on controlling his lightsaber and manipulating the flying droid pieces, Anakin was also able to notice the Separatist leaders cowered in the corner, Grievous in front of them, and his bodyguards surrounding the group. _I'll deal with them myself_, he thought.

Soon it was over, and Anakin dropped from above as his lightsaber finished off the last of the main assembly and landed squarely in is right hand. Instantly, Grievous's bodyguards were upon him, and Anakin simply caused a massive generator suspended high above the room to fall on the lot, who were crushed in a single blow. One of them was caught halfway under the generator, and was desperately reaching for his shock staff when Anakin casually walked by and severed its head from its body.

Anakin could see the utter dismay and shock on the faces of the Separatist leaders, and thought that the anger radiating from Grievous would have been palpable even without the force. As Anakin approached, the Separatist leaders that weren't transfixed to their spots by sheer unbelief and terror turned and ran towards the loading ramp of their spacecraft. With a wave of his hand, Anakin caused the ramp to close, and then he used the force to crush the surrounding metal, irreparably damaging the craft. "Don't think you're going to escape that easily. It's time to pay the price for the war you've brought about, and the crimes you've committed," Anakin said as the leaders cowered in terror.

Grievous had finally had enough. "Skywalker, it looks like I will have to deal with you myself."

Anakin couldn't help but laugh. "And just how do you expect to do that?"

"You fool," Grievous mocked. "I've been trained in your Jedi arts by Count Dooku."

Anakin did his best to look worried. "Oh no," he mocked. "You've been trained by Count Dooku? Well, let me think about this for a second. How did the former Count die? Oh yeah, that's right, I killed him. So, if he trained you, and I killed him, and you don't even have the benefit of using the force, what does that mean? I've always been a slow learner. Maybe you guys could help me out?" he said, gesturing towards the Separatist leaders.

Grievous was outraged. He held out his arms, each of them dividing in half to reveal four separate arms, with each hand holding a lightsaber. These then ignited as Grievous sounded his challenge. "Attack."

"Well, let me think about this a little more. I guess a lot depends on how you want to die. I mean, would you rather I kill you with my lightsaber, throw you around these walls like a ragdoll, finish Mace's job crushing the life out of you, or just use the force to rip apart every piece of whatever it is you call a body?"

He could tell his latest remark made Grievous worried, as he saw the droid general hesitate. Finally, Grievous spat, "I've killed Jedi slime before, and I'll kill you now." With that, he came at Anakin with his lower two arms spinning in a quick circular motion.

"I guess the lightsaber it is, then," Anakin shot back.

With that, Genral Grievous was upon him with a blinding fury. Within two seconds, Anakin had severed three of his hands as Grievous wailed in pain. "Well, why can't I just try everything?" Anakin goaded.

He then rocketed Grievous's body off of the floor straight up into the ceiling, hearing it smash with a sickening sound against the solid stone. Grievous's body then fell again to the ground, but before it hit, Anakin force pushed Grievous's limp body at the same deadly speed against the far wall, and instantly threw him across the room to slam him against the other. He then floated Grievous's almost lifeless body back in front of the Separatist leaders.

"What do you guys think I should do now?" he said. "What, no takers? Well how about this." Anakin then reached out and to the Separatist leaders it looked as if he were crushing air, but as his hand closed, they heard the sound of crunching metal and saw that Grievous's torso was collapsing upon itself. This caused the semi-conscious Grievous to scream out in pain.

Anakin noticed out of the corner of his eye some of the more brazen leaders pick up some of the many weapons that were scattered around the room. Having had enough, Anakin used the force to rip apart every bit of Grievous's body, and used these pieces of the former General as metal shards that he then directed at a rapid speed into all of the Separatist leaders save one.

Nute Gunray looked in horror at the slain bodies of his fallen comrades. He then saw Anakin turn to him and advance slowly. "Please don't kill me!" he cried. "I'll do anything, give you whatever you want!"

"I only want one thing," Anakin said. "And your response will tell me whether you live or die. Why do you still seek the death of Senator Amidala?"

The Neimoidian looked somewhat confused. "What does that have to do with anything?" he asked.

"I take it this means you don't value your life?" Anakin stated coldly.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you. I hate her. I hate everything about her. She made a fool out of me, and I will not rest until I have my revenge."

"Wrong answer," Anakin said, and with that, he ignited his lightsaber and moved his hand upwards in one fluid movement that split the Viceroy in half up the middle. Anakin then switched his lightsaber off as both halves of Nute Gunray separated and fell to the floor.


	9. Order 66

Anakin breathed a sigh of relief to finally have the being who had relentlessly hunted his wife for over the past decade dead at his feet. Having Nute Gunray finally out of the picture was even more satisfying to him than killing Grievous.

He looked around at all the destruction about him, and couldn't help but smile. _Not bad, Skywalker, not bad_. He didn't think Obi-Wan would believe that he single handedly destroyed an entire droid invasion army along with General Grievous, his bodyguards, and the Separatist leaders, and all with just his lightsaber. As he turned around to head back to his ship, the ghostly image of Darth Sidious appeared on the command console behind the dead bodies of the Separatist leaders.

"Well done, Anakin. You've spared me the trouble of killing them myself."

"Don't worry your majesty," Anakin retorted. "You'll soon be joining them."

"Do not deny it, Anakin. Your hatred for General Grievous and Nute Gunray has made you powerful. Give in to your anger and embrace the power of the dark side."

"Never," Anakin responded. "You will soon be dead, and the galaxy will be rid of the Sith forever."

"Your arrogance blinds you, Skywalker," Sidious spat, "and there is much you do not know. You see, I have your wife. If you desire to be with her again, you will become my apprentice. Join me, or suffer the consequences of your actions."

Anakin's worst fears began to be realized. _No, this can't be, not Padme, anything but Padme_. He stared with barely concealed rage at the hologram before him. "I sware to you, that if you even so much as touch her, I will keep you alive solely to torture and mutilate your wretched body."

Darth Sidious's hollow cackle sounded especially gruesome through the electronic medium. "That doesn't sound like the response of a Jedi. You have already started on the path to the dark side. Now, give in to your anger and lust for my blood, and bask in the glory and knowledge of a power that will enable you to rule the galaxy. Everything in this universe can be yours for the taking."

Anakin realized his error and struggled to contain his emotions. _I must not let him manipulate me_, he thought. Sidious could feel Anakins anger abating, and realized that he was quickly losing ground towards his goal.

"This is your last chance, Skywalker. You won't find me, and even if you do, entire legions of my best troops separate you from your goal. Even the vaunted "Hero with no Fear" can't survive such an encounter. As for your precious wife, I am sure I will find….uses for her. I am tired of saying this, so it will be the last time. Join with me and rule the galaxy with Padme at your side, or lose everything you cherish and hold dear."

Anakin had never dealt with such a tempting offer in his entire life, yet now he could see through the the man before him for what he was, and now something new was visible to him. Sidious was afraid.

"Sidious, you can't even comprehend what you've just brought upon yourself. Prepare to die, and trust me, I won't make it pleasant for you."

"So be it, Jedi," Palpatine snarled, as his image suddenly faded out.

Anakin was left alone, the image of his wife occupying his thoughts. _How could I have left her alone? How could I have let him get to her?_ He realized this line of thought was fruitless, though it was hard to not feel guilt at the love of his life in the hands of that monster. He needed to get to Padme before anything happened to her, so he quickly ran through his mind the possible locations of his former mentor and friend.

_He'll want to be in a place he's familiar with, somewhere he's established, has set up secret passages, and stationed his royal guard_. _He woulnd't be on Coruscant, as he mentioned legions of his troops guarding him, and there's no place large enough to station that many men. He wouldn't go to his estate in Naboo, because he knows I'm too familiar with that area. Come on Skywalker, think_.

Just then, he remembered a conversation he'd had with Palpatine a few years back where the Chancellor had mentioned acquiring a palace on Onderon. _That must be it. He'll be masking his presence, but he can't hide Padme's_. Anakin tried to relax, and reach out through the force in the vicinity of Onderon to try to grasp even a glimpse of the presence of his wife. After an intense search requiring tremendous concentration, he finally found what he was looking for. _There_, he thought ecstatically. _She's there_. _Padme, my love, I'm coming for you_.

--------------------------------

Padme's eyes slowly opened as she felt she heard Anakin's voice say that he was coming for her. _Where am I_, she thought groggily. Her whole body felt numb, and she realized that she was lying in an extremely uncomfortable position.

Immediately, her thoughts turned to her unborn child. _I hope my baby is okay_. She wasn't far enough along to be able to tell one way or the other, so she just relied on faith that all was well.

She tried to get up to move her aching limbs, but found herself chained to the floor at her wrists and ankles. As her eye's became accustomed to the dark, she could see that she was in a cell in some sort of dungeon, and it was fairly old by the look of it. _How long have I been like this?_ Then she remembered Palpatine coming to see her in her Senate chambers. She had turned around to get a proposition she was working on when she felt him grab her as she lost consciousness. _How do I get myself into these situations, _she thought. She struggled to get her hands to her hair, and then removed a metal clip that she unfolded and began working at her locks.

--------------------------------

Palpatine cursed with frustration at being so close to his goals that he had waited so patienly for so many years to obtain, only to find them still beyond his reach. _Wretched Jedi, it's time you pay the price for your lack of vision_. He went over to his console, and signaled Rune Haako.

Rune Haako was lieutenant to Viceroy Gunray, his second in command, and knew of Sidious well. He had always feared the Sith Lord, and Sidious knew he could easily force him to bow to his wishes.

"Lieutenant Haako, your predecessor is dead. You are the next in line to control the Neimoidian fleet, and I require your assistance."

Rune was paralyzed with fear. _The Viceroy is dead? Am I going to be next?_ Wh…What do you require, Lord Sidious?" he finally mustered.

I would like you to send three battleships to Onderon and have them remain in the area above the capital city. You will then have each battleship send an invasion army to the surface and inform them to guard the main palace at all costs. Both your fleet and invasion armies will now coordinate their efforts with the clone army."

Rune Haako couldn't believe his ears. "My Lord, this….this is impossible. What would I say to ……"

Darth Sidious abruptly cut him off with a commanding tone. "You will tell them that the Jedi have been the conspirators all along, and that they in effect caused the war. You will then say that all your goals for going to war will be achieved under the promise of the republic, and you will do this or suffer the consequences. Am I understood?"

Rune made an awkward bow and quickly stammered, "Y..Yes, Lord Sidious."

Palpatine flicked off the comlink in disgust at having to deal with such cowards and sycophants. _All towards an end, _he thought to himself. He then proceeded to signal one of his most trusted clones. "Commander Cody, the time has come. Execute order 66."

"My Lord," commander Cody began, "there seems to be a problem."

"What is it, Commander?" the Chancellor said impatiently.

"My Lord, Master Koon left a few hours ago and turned command over to me."

"Did he give you any reason as to why he was doing so?" the Chancellor asked a tone that made the clone's skin crawl.

"No, my Lord. He received a communication prior to informing me of his decision, but I have no idea what it was about, nor do I have any clue as to his current whereabouts."

"Thank you commander. You have done well. Order 66 is in effect, and you are to carry it out as able. The Separatist leaders have been dealt with, and soon I will send a transmission to all droids which will program them to join with your forces and help with your mission."

Even with his mask on, and his image conveyed through electronic means, Palpatine could sense the bewilderment of his servant. "Yes, my Lord," Cody finally responded as his image faded out.

The Chancellor pondered momentarily what this could mean, and then sent a general message to all his clone commanders. "Execute order 66, and report your success," he instructed.

Soon, reports came pouring in of the Jedi having left hours earlier after turning command over to their clone allies. All in all, only a handful of Jedi had been slain.

"This is impossible!" the Chancellor spat, and his mind raced frantically to come up with an explanation for his failure. _Anakin had been too preoccupied with Grievous, he couldn't have known_. Suddenly he stoped pacing and his mood turned even more foul.

"Yoda. It must have been Yoda." With that, he walked over to his closest guard, and sent Sith lightning coursing through his body until all that remained was a charred corpse.


	10. Preparing for Battle

R2D2 finally brought the starfighter back to the landing pad, and Anakin quickly jumped aboard, setting the coordinates for Naboo. "R2, set up a secure line to Obi-Wan."

R2D2 whistled and beeped affirmatively. Soon Obi-Wan's image was displayed on his ship's console. "Anakin, it's good to hear from you. It seems your suspicions of Palpatine were correct. Unfortunately, he escaped, and we have no idea where he went."

"I think I might know," Anakin replied. "But first, I need to tell you something in the strictest of confidences."

"Of course," Obi-Wan replied, somewhat puzzled.

"Obi-Wan, this isn't how I wanted to tell you this, but Padme and I are married."

Obi-Wan's jaw dropped in disbelief. "What? Married?" he stammered. "How? When?"

"Obi-Wan, please understand. Being a Jedi means more to me than anything in the world, but Padme means even more to me than that. You should know better than anyone how much she has meant to me throughout my life. We became close when I was assigned to protect her, and we were married shortly after the battle of Geonosis. Surely you understand the need for our secrecy in order to continue living our respective lives. I'm sorry I kept this from you for as long as I did, but the only other people who know are her family, R2, and 3PO."

Obi-Wan sat for a moment in silence, going over what this meant for his long time friend, his ally, his brother. If the council found out, he would be replaced in the council and then expelled from the order itself. The greatest of them, even the greatest in their long and distinguished history, cast off from their fellowship forever. It would be tragic indeed for the council, the order, and even the very galaxy. If it were to be known also that Obi-Wan had knowledge of this and didn't disclose it, he too would be replaced in the council. "Why are you telling me this now?" he finally asked.

"Obi-Wan, I need your help. Palpatine has kidnapped my wife, and is holding her on Onderon. He has a lot of troops protecting him, but nothing is going to stop me from rescuing her. Can I count on you?"

Obi-Wan seemed slightly offended. "Anakin, you are my brother. After everything we've gone through, you know I will stand by you, no matter what, even if I lose my position in the Jedi council. I will assemble the Jedi here for an assault on Onderon as soon as possible, and I will not divulge what you have told me." Somewhat as an afterthought, he added, "By the way, how did things go with Grievous?"

Anakin smiled wryly. "Master, you would have been proud. Let's just say that neither Grievous, the Separatist leaders, nor an entire droid invasion army are…functional anymore."

Obi-Wan let out a small laugh. "I knew you were the right man for the job. Anakin, you amaze me."

"Thank you, Master. I'll meet you at Onderon."

-----------------------------------------

Anakin skimmed above the surface of Naboo in his cloaked vessel. He couldn't afford to be seen right now, and he knew that Palpatine had spies everywhere. The regular landing pads were too big a risk, so he had to land in the open field near the waterfalls. The good thing was the Naberries owned the land. The bad thing was he didn't want to destroy any of the flora or fauna of one of his most cherished places in the universe.

He brought his craft down, and had R2 keep it hovering scarcely two feet above the ground. He jumped out of the cockpit, and headed immediately for the waterfall. He quickly entered the cavern and headed straight for the armor of the greatest Sith to have ever lived. He hesitated as he drew nearer, seeing the eerie power that the suit itself contained, but then realized this would only enhance his efforts in freeing his wife.

"Well, here goes nothing," he said, as he picked up the armor and began to don the dark apparel. He felt a slight tingling as he put on the suit, and although he fully trusted his ability to wear it, was still somewhat relieved when he didn't share the same fate as the last person to attempt to harness its awesome power. He discovered that it self regulated to maintain a stable temperature slightly cooler than the heat of the cave, and realized the benefits of this apparel in any environmental condition. He had thought it looked suffocating to wear, but realized that it was actually quite comfortable, and even seemed to enhance his movements. Everything about it seemed as if it were made truly for him.

As he slid on the shoulder armor and gauntlets, he could feel an energy surge through his very being, intensifying his strength. He could sense through the force the power that this suit added to his own, and he felt truly invincible.

Now all that remained was the helmet itself. He looked at it before putting it on, sensing the fear this must have spread to all who beheld it and died with this ominous sight being their last in mortality. He put on the face, and lowered the helmet over it, completely securing his body in a self sustained unit. He was surprised to find that instead of his vision being somewhat limited, his optic nerves seemed to be connected to the very mask itself, and his peripheral vision was enhanced.

Somewhat as an afterthought, he noticed his breathing. The mask seemed to amplify and deepen the sound of each inspiration and expiration, both becoming harsh and hollow in his ears. It almost gave him the feeling as the suit itself desired to live, yet was unable to do so without the proper host. Just having the suit on made him feel powerful enough to crash through the very walls of the cave itself without sustaining harm or injury.

"Impressive" he said, and noticed that his very voice was conveyed in low, amplified tones. "Most impressive." He felt a presence behind him and spun around, noting how his reflexes and movements had increased in speed, yet maintained control. He beheld the ghostly figure of Konath Ordon before him.

"The time has finally come for the Chosen One to destroy the Sith and remove their blight from the galaxy forever. You are truly a sight to behold, Anakin."

"I am honored for the trust you have placed in me, and I promise you, I will not fail," Anakin said.

"Remember, Anakin, that as it was our responsibility and obligation to bring you the knowledge of Dayoro, we must believe that Darth Sidious knows the long lost form of Tulak Hord."

"Thank you Master Ordon. I have been well prepared. I will not fail." Anakin then watched as the vision of Konath Ordon faded away, and he immediately turned and headed back to his ship.

---------------------------------------

_Here goes nothing, _Anakin thought to himself as he came out of lightspeed near Onderon. He saw before him three Trade Federation battleships and a few dozen squadrons of vultures. "It's a good think I came out of lightspeed with my cloaking device activated," he muttered.

Even with his ship cloaked, he realized this wouldn't be easy. _How am I going to destroy these without being seen?_ he thought. He had the element of surprise on his side as they obviously were oblivious to his presence, yet no immediate plan came to mind, so he just flew into the main hold of the nearest battleship and headed toward the main reactor just as he did in his Naboo starfighter over a decade ago.

Making his way through the maze of droids, blast doors, and random crates, he saw many droids look around in confusion at the obvious sound of a ship, yet with none in sight. As he got near the end wall, he skillfully swung his craft around one hundred and eighty degrees and gave his craft just enough thrust off the back wall to bring his ship to a near standstill. He then pointed the nose of his craft toward the main reactor and fired a proton torpedo before he sped off in the direction of his entrance.

------------------------------

"Sir, battleship number two has just been destroyed!" a Neimoidian technician reported to the new Viceroy Haako.

"What?" he shouted. "How is that possible? There are no ships on our radar within within range of the planet, let alone something capable of destroying an entire battleship. Could it have been a malfunction?"

The technician frantically tried to find any information on the explosion, any distress call or computer message, but was unable to do so. Just then, a second flashing light appeared on his screen.

"Sir, we've just lost number one as well."

Rune Haako was beside himself. "What is going on here? All craft, full alert, and shields at maximum strength!" he shouted.

------------------------------------

Anakin was speeding through the spacious length of the main hold of the second battleship, experiencing the same joy and invigoration that he felt all those years ago when he was a boy podracing in the deserts of Tatooine. _It's been far too long_, he thought while dodging the many obstacles on his path to exit the exploding vessel_. This really is a lot like podracing_.

Just then, a distant explosion caused enough sway to dislodge an assembly beam that fell directly onto the back of Anakin's fighter, damaging the cloaking device. He burst out of the main hold as his ship came into view of the entire droid fleet.

"There he is," Rune shouted. "Destroy him!"

Anakin swerved in and out of the many towers and platforms that mired the surface of the battleship, firing shot after shot at the vultures swarming around him. For every craft he destroyed, it seemed that two took its place. He turned to see swarms of the droids pouring out of the main hold. "There must me a thousand of these things out here," he said in frustration as he flew between two towers with scarcely an inch to spare per side. The two vultures on his tail weren't so lucky as they exploded into a fireball that took out several others.

Rune Haako watched the battle taking place from the bridge of the last remaining battleship with mounting anxiety. "I want every available vulture out there," he shouted. The small Jedi craft was spinning in and out of debris, turning and accelerating at impossible angles, and destroying ships with seemingly every shot fired. He watched helplessly as even the wreckage of his destroyed ships would often take on a life of their own and smash into entire squadrons of his fighters. He turned his attention again to the Jedi fighter, tracking it as it weaved in and out of everything in its path, placing itself in perfect position for both offensive and defensive strikes, and performing maneuvers that even his vultures weren't capable of. "This is impossible! No pilot or machine is that good. Who is that out there?"

Obi-Wan and eleven other Jedi came out of lightspeed to a fantastic scene before them. The entire area was littered with the debris of hundreds of destroyed vultures and stray laser fire. His own ship was nearly hit by a seemingly random bolt, and he had to order the other Jedi to break formation in order to keep their ships intact. He found Anakin as he watched him make a micro jump into hyperspace to place him in perfect position to destroy an entire squadron.

Anakin heard Obi-Wan's voice crackle through his receiver. "I didn't know you had perfected that. Didn't I always tell you that was a foolish maneuver?"

"I believe your exact wording was 'That's suicide,'" Anakin said, as he destroyed another two vultures. "If it makes you feel any better, I only do it on very special occasions."

Obi-Wan smiled. "I hope you're saving some of those for us," he said, as the Jedi ships engaged the droid fighters.

"Master, I hate to do this, but I have to get down to the surface as fast as possible. Do you think you can finish up the rest of these?" Anakin asked.

"No problem," Obi-Wan said. "I'll join you as soon as I can."

"I was only able to take out two of the battleships, so I hope you guys can evade that last one," Anakin said as he flew toward the surface of Onderon.

_You destroyed two battleships?_ Obi-Wan thought in disbelief. _Anakin, you truly are amazing_.


	11. Impossible Odds

Note: My thanks to Wookieepedia/Wikipedia for the vehicle information

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anakin's craft was skimming low over the surface of Onderon. The planets surface in this area was once covered by ferocious beasts that would devour any that wandered out of the capitals walls unprotected. The only refuge that was had was in the capital, and only city on the planet, Iziz.

Many ages ago, a group of outcasts and criminals learned to tame many of these beasts, and became known as the beast riders. They fought long and terrible wars with the Onderonians, but less than a few centuries ago the beast riders were all killed off, and the Onderonian army went out and destroyed most of the dangerous beasts surrounding the capital Iziz.

Those beasts that remained fled to the southern hemisphere of the planet, and no dangerous beasts had been seen in the area for some time. Many Jedi believed that the ferocity of the beasts was directly attributable to the fact that this planet had a long history of domination by beings wielding the dark side of the force. Anakin now realized that this must be one of the reasons that the Chancellor decided to purchase the grand palace.

The city had long maintained excellent anti air weaponry to repel the beast riders, so Anakin knew his approach had to be as stealthy as possible, and without his cloaking device operating, he had to hug the ground to remain below the enemy sensors. He flew around a small mountain ridge not far from the main city of Iziz, and he could feel his wife's presence getting stronger and stronger. Suddenly, a hidden anti aircraft battery fired a barrage that damaged his starboard wing.

"How could I have been so careless?" he cursed. "R2, we're going down. Brace yourself for impact."

Anakin skillfully landed the speeding vessel without much damage to the bottom of his craft, but it helped that the ground was covered in a lush grass almost a foot in length, much like the fertile plains of Naboo.

He opened the cockpit, and picked up the metallic helmet of Darth Vader. "R2, see what repairs you can manage, but try to be quiet."

R2 let out a low affirmative whistle, and began the repairs.

------------------------------------

Padme's last shackle fell to the stone floor with a metallic clank. She immediately stood up, and her body cried out in protest. Her muscles seemed as if they were on fire, but she realized that movement would probably help her more than anything.

She began to explore her cell, looking for anything that might help her escape. Over to the left side in a darkened corner was an old metal table with a skeleton lying on top of it. It looked to have been some sort of gruesome torture devise, and she felt a tinge of pity for the poor soul still there and what he or she had to endure. Other than the table and a few chains and shackles attached to the floor, walls, and wooden beams up above, the cell was empty.

She made her way to the door of the cell, and examined the lock. _This looks like it's hundreds of years old. I should have this open in no time. _

Padme laughed to herself at all the times she's had to work her way out of locks and chains. _Who would've thought I'd be using this skill so much, especially as a Senator of the Republic no less. _

She walked over to the skeleton still chained to the table. "I'm sorry about this," she whispered, "but you could be the means of saving my life." Padme had to break five ribs in order to get a bone shard just right, but she was able to break the radius just how it needed to be on the first try. _Good thing, because there's only one left_. She took the bone fragments and her metal hair clip and began to work on her cell door.

----------------------------------------

Anakin heard a low rumble that seemed to amplify the eerie sound of his breathing through Vader's mask. He slowed his pace and walked up a gentle slope of a nearby hill, instinctively drawing his lightsaber. As he came to the crest, a daunting picture presented itself before him. The low rumble was caused by at least one hundred Armored Assault Tanks coming over the crest of a distant hill.

Anakin quickly surveyed the area, and saw half as many Ground Assault Tanks and a few dozen spider droids, and that was just the front line. Behind them were a few dozen All Terrain Attack Pods and Tactical Enforcers with at least a dozen Heavy Assault Vehicles. Aside from the manpower it took to pilot these craft, there were upwards of a thousand clones with just as many battle droids surrounding the main gate to the city before him. _I guess he's serious about keeping me out of there_.

Anakin looked behind him to see his craft with R2 about one hundred yards away. The AAT's, however, were now scarcely one hundred yards in front of him and firing on his position. _Sidious, you will rue the day you kidnapped my wife_.

One shot came directly at him, and he raised a gloved hand to create an energy field that absorbed the massive bolt of laser fire that would have meant the death of anyone else. With a thrust of his left hand he then redirected the energy back at the tank, watching it explode into minute particles that rained on the neighboring armor.

With a single force enhanced bound, Anakin landed on the top of the nearest AAT and cut the cannon off with his lightsaber before delivering a force blow that flattened the tank beneath him. He then bounded to the next, severing through its thick metal hull in a single swipe of his lightsaber.

To all outside observers, he became as a blur in constant motion, his lightsaber becoming an extension of himself as he sliced off cannon after cannon, destroying tank after tank. Drawing the force around him, he used many of the destroyed tanks as projectile weapons and sent them smashing into the whole front line of approaching vessels on his left. He then quickly turned and delivered a massive force push to all the tanks on his right, watching them tear apart beneath the shear energy that ripped through their frames.

A ridge of boulders lay alongside a river scarcely a mile away, and these flew instantly at Anakin's command to destroy numerous spider droids and GAT's, only to then continue on their path to end up crushing large groups of troops near the city walls.

Anakin proceeded directly in front of him, swirling the force around him and taking whole ships and destroyed alike into a gigantic metal tornado that completely surrounded him, protecting him from enemy fire in his swirling cocoon. This cyclone of destruction followed him forward, growing larger and larger as more and more vehicles were swept into body, feeding into its insatiable appetite.

The clone and droid vehicles alike tried frantically to get behind him in order to gain at least some advantage, but they had to travel at a safe enough distance to not get caught into the advancing tornado. Anakin immediately recognized their tactic, and allowed them to feel as if they were accomplishing their goal. Once he reached the center of the advancing forces, he caused the mass of swirling tanks and vehicle fragments to condense into a sphere and explode into metal shards and fragments that ripped through everything in sight, destroying the vast majority of remaining armor.

A Heavy Assault Vehicle in the distance suddenly took to the air as it was ripped in half and each part catapulted into LAAT's flying overhead. All seemed quiet for a brief moment until Anakin felt a slight disturbance in the force. He turned to his left and noticed at the far edge of his peripheral vision two divisions of armored vehicles come around the corner of a rocky cliff. _Brilliant strategy, but it's not going to work._

Focusing all of his energy, Anakin threw both gloved hands out in front of him, and brought them up as if he were lifting an immense weight. To the surprise of every clone and droid alike, the entire mountain of rock that was next to them lifted into the air and moved directly over them. Anakin dropped both arms to his sides in a swift motion, and the mountain crashed into the earth sending a cloud of dust and rock in a deadly wave that reached the walls of the palace itself.


	12. The Walls of Iziz

Major Jorir stared with an intense awe at what had just transpired before his very eyes. If there was one thing he respected in life, it was the ability to fight. He was bred for that very purpose, and he had made the rank of Major because he was naturally so much better than all of his clone brothers.

Yet, never in his short life had he seen anything like what just occurred before his very eyes. _He lifted an entire mountain and used it to crush two complete divisions of my armored vehicles. How am I supposed to fight against this?_ he thought. He had served under the Jedi since the beginning of the Clone Wars, and he had seen things he thought impossible by the mysterious 'force' that the Jedi controlled and manipulated, but never had he seen something on this scale.

All his troops, and even the droids, were absolutely silent as the last of the dust and debris settled down upon them. Through the clearing, they could see the lone figure clad in black approaching them with his lightsaber drawn and held with the humming blue blade at an angle to the ground to his side and slightly behind him. Major Jorir knew he needed to shake his troops out of their trance and attack while they still had a chance.

"Open fire," he yelled as the laser fire poured upon the solitary figure before them.

Anakin was fully consumed by the battle, giving himself over completely to the fight before him. He had never felt the power of battle control his actions as he did now, and realized that it was the force awakening in him like it never had before.

It seems necessity had awakened a hidden, dormant power from deep within him that enabled him to perform what even other Jedi Masters would consider impossible feats. At this moment he seemed to truly recognize the force, and he was at one with its awesome power. Whatever he needed to do would be done, and whereas before he had believed he could accomplish tremendous feats of power and skill, this had now progressed to a sure knowledge of what he could do.

As the blaster fire rained upon him, he let the force guide his actions, and it was as if his lightsaber became a solid wall of light by the sheer speed at which he moved. Droid and clone alike fell as their own shots were reflected back into them, and suddenly dozens of troops were blown aside by a mere wave from Anakin's hand.

-----------------------------------

Plo Koon deftly flew his craft around the main tower of the battleship and lost the vulture following him, while simultaneously getting in position to destroy the ship on Obi-Wan's tail.

"I owe you one, Master Koon", Kenobi said hurriedly as he destroyed another vulture while spinning underneath a piece of floating debris. The Jedi proved to be too much for the remaining droid ships, and soon the battle was over.

A new voice suddenly crackled over the comlink. "Head to the planets surface we now must."

"Master Yoda, when did you arrive?" Obi-Wan said enthusiastically.

"In time to see your victory I came," Yoda responded.

"Master Yoda's right," Kenobi added, "the longer we stay up here now, the more likely that battleship will be to get a lucky shot off and take one of us out. Besides, Anakin could use our help on the surface to reach Palpatine." All the Jedi craft quickly sped off and entered Onderon's atmosphere, racing to the planets surface in hopes that the events of this day would forever be chronicled in the Jedi order as the day the Sith were finally destroyed.

---------------------------------------

Major Jorir knew he needed to act now or all would be lost. He raised his comlink to his helmet and shouted, "Divisions Alpha and Bravo, flank from the left. Divisions Charlie and Delta, flank from the right. Blasters aren't working, so I want everyone to rush him and use whatever means necessary to take him out."

Abruptly, the blaster fire ceased, and hidden divisions armed with melee weapons of mainly force pikes, vibro swords, and shock staffs converged upon him from all sides, running at the peak of their ability to destroy this lone figure before them.

Anakin's lightsaber was striking right and left, moving in one continuous stream that engulfed him in a wall of protection as the advancing forces were mowed down by his blade, but the enemy seemed to have endless reinforcements.

Anakin realized that he needed to end this and end it now, as with every passing second Padme's life hung in the balance. Anakin temporarily stopped his dance of death, and holding the hilt of his lightsaber by both hands, drove the tip into the ground as he dropped to one knee to focus all of his strength and power. A sound of rushing wind was heard by all as Anakin summoned all the energy of the force around the vast area and concentrated it into his very being. As clone and droid engulfed him, he let loose a tremendous wave of the force that decimated everything within a mile radius.

-----------------------------------------

Palpatine was going over and over in his mind what Jorir had communicated to him only minutes ago. _A lone figure in black armor is attacking our forces sir._ Those were the last words he had heard of the battle, though he keenly felt the deaths of his troops.

He was desperately trying to contact Major Jorir for an update on the battle when he felt the effect of a tremendous blast of the force so powerful that he staggered against a wall in his spacious hall. _What was that?_ he wondered. _Surely that couldn't have been Skywalker_.

He reached out with the force, feeding off of the death of so many of his clone troops, yet he couldn't feel Anakin's presence. He hurried to his throne room and went out to the balcony, trying to get a view of what had transpired. Seeing nothing, he reached out with the force again, and felt the presence of many Jedi Knights coming closer and closer to his destination.

Without hesitation, he turned to his two Royal Guards behind him and said simply, "Kill Senator Amidala immediately, and send all available troops to prepare for an invasion of the palace."

------------------------------------------

Anakin slowly raised himself from the grassy terrain, the trace remains of his force explosion still rippling from his body.

All around him was now silent, as if a great void had come where he had used the force to destroy all within the immediate area. Countless bodies lay strewn all over the countryside, and Anakin now turned his attention to the walls of Iziz off in the distance.

_I will have to levitate over them_ he thought, as he realized they were too high for even someone of his force abilities to jump over. The walls were impressive in their own right. They were a dull white, yet seemed to glisten under the rays of the sun above them. They were fully two hundred feet high, and must have been at least fifty feet at the base. He could immediately see how effective they would have been at keeping out the ferocious beasts that used to dwell in these regions.

As he pondered over these things, he felt an almost imperceptible disturbance in the force, as if something was moving and causing a slight ripple through the air around him. He proceeded to travel over to the crater that remained when he had removed the mountain only moments earlier.

To his surprise, he saw what looked to be the remains of an ancient temple that must have been buried deep within the mountain and hidden from the rest of the world for countless ages.

Anakin quickly jumped into the crater, and headed toward the massive entrance lined by ornate pillars on either side. Upon his approach, a low rumble sounded from the dark recess of the temples interior. Undeterred, he entered the gaping chasm, using the force to illuminate the interior. To his surprise, he found that a gigantic drexl had maid the temple's interior its lair. In the far corner, the massive beast turned and slowly approached him, and Anakin couldn't help but smile.

--------------------------------------------

Padme almost shouted for joy when the lock to her cell opened with a metallic click.

She hurriedly opened her cage door, but the hinges were somewhat rusty and seemed to scream in protest. _Great_, she thought. _Good work Padme_.

She stopped and listened intently for any sound of approaching danger. Satisfying herself that no one had heard her cell door open, she quickly moved down the stone hallway to what appeared to be a spiral staircase at the opposite end.

As she neared the stairway, she could hear a faint sound of footsteps up above, and they seemed to be getting louder as she listened at the base. _I have a bad feeling about this _she thought, as she frantically ran through her mind the limited options that lay before her.

She quickly ran back to her cell, leaving the door open, and headed to the skeleton on the table before her.

"It looks like I need one last favor," she whispered as she grabbed its right femur and attached it to her belt. She then moved toward the chains hanging from the wooden beam high above the room, and proceeded to nimbly climb one as silently as she could.

She quickly reached the top, where she maneuvered herself along the beam to where she was near the entrance to her cell. Unfastening the bone from her belt, she locked her legs and arms around the circumference of the beam as she slowly worked her way to a hanging position underneath it.

She didn't have long to wait as she saw two robed figures come down the steps and head for her cell. Her arms and legs began to tremble slightly with the strain they were under holding her body to the wooden beam as the guards reached her door. She noticed them stop in their tracks, and the one in the lead motioned slightly to his companion, who then turned and headed back towards the stairway.

Both guards had readied their force pikes, and a small blue glow illuminated the immediate area around the tip of the staff. The guard that remained quickly scoured the surrounding area, and then slowly entered the door of the cell. As he moved toward the table, Padme let go of the beam with her arms, and let the top half of her body hang down, the femur held tightly by both hands.

_If this doesn't reach him, then I'm in trouble_ she thought, as she drew her torso back the best she could in this awkward position. As she swung forward, she put all of her strength into a massive blow that connected with the back of the guard's helmet, shattering the femur as he fell unconscious to the floor.

Padme quickly swung her body back up to reach the pillar so she could release her legs, and then dropped lithely to the floor beneath her. She immediately picked up his force pike, rolled his body over, and delivered a blow with the pike directly over his chest at full force that stopped his heart, killing him as he lay on the stone floor.

She quickly ran out of the cell, and waited by the side of the staircase for the other guard to return from his patrol. After a few moments, she heard soft footsteps reach the bottom of the stairway as the red robed figure headed slowly toward her cell. She took a step forward to deliver a blow with her pike, only to see the guard spin around at a blinding speed with his staff arching toward her head.

Luckily, she was already ducking as the guard turned around, and his staff passed harmlessly over her head as she delivered a powerful shock to his abdomen. He reeled over in pain as she then put all of her strength behind an upwards blow aimed squarely at his visor that shattered his helmet as the tip sent out a forceful shock that sentenced his death by sending him into a continuous seizure.

A wave of relief rushed over her as she picked up the other force pike and headed slowly up the stairs, determined to find a way out of her dungeon imprisonment.


	13. The Final Battle

A deafening roar split the skies above the city of Iziz as the citizens fled in every direction in a terror that had not been known in centuries. The drexl had been presumably hunted to extinction hundreds of years earlier, and one had not been seen since that great purge.

The animal Anakin now rode was larger than any in history, which must have come through its long years in the mountain spent between hibernation and devouring the creatures that made their homes in the numerous caves that covered the mountain face. Anakin stood at the base of the neck of the gigantic beast, enjoying immensely the feeling of riding the great drexl as it flew high above the walls of Iziz.

Another tremendous roar echoed through the city as the beast sped in a graceful dive that barely missed the tops of the uppermost buildings.

Anakin immediately saw how the beast riders of an age long past were able to control these flying creatures, as he found the drexl to be remarkably tame despite its ferocious appearance. He knew, however, that the beast could easily be made into a fierce weapon that would destroy people and buildings alike, all dependent upon the mood of the animal and the person manipulating it.

The ancient beast riders must have been at least partially force sensitive to gain the slight control they had, but to Anakin it was as if he was conversing with a long time friend. _Head towards the grand palace _he communicated telepathically as the drexl conveyed his understanding.

-------------------------------------

Palpatine ran to the arched opening that led to the balcony of his massive throne room upon hearing the tremendous roar that echoed through the city. To his surprise, he saw a giant drexl flying towards him with a figure clad in black astride its back.

_How interesting_, he thought. _I thought you had all been killed off long ago. _The beast continued in its course, quickly approaching his palace as Palpatine's minor curiosity quickly turned into annoyance.

He reached out with the force to control the beast, only to find its mind completely shielded from him.

_Impossible_, he thought as he sent lightning from his fingers that seemed to be swallowed up the second it came near the monstrous drexl.

The beast was now upon him as the ebony figure leapt from its back in a graceful jump that carried him high into the air, spinning skillfully as the dark warrior landed directly in front of him, the black cape flowing slightly behind him from the gentle wind blowing over the balcony.

Palpatine stared in horror and took a step back as the awesome figure he had beheld in his Sith holocrons stood before him. He knew well of Darth Vader, knew him to be the most powerful Sith Lord to have ever lived, knew that his abilities and command of the dark side of the force were second to none, and knew that he shared power with no one.

"Lord Vader," he stammered. "This, this is impossible." To his amazement, the being before him reached up and removed his helmet, only to toss it aside to reveal the face of Anakin Skywalker.

Palpatine's fear turned into a cold anger as he slowly backed away from Anakin's approaching figure. "How dare you desecrate the armor of the greatest Dark Lord of the Sith," he spat.

Anakin smiled and merely said, "It seems to fit me rather nicely, actually. I guess you realize about now that you're not the only one who can shield his presence."

They were now standing in the center of Palpatine's throne room as they slowly began to circle one another.

"You are a fool," Sidious growled. "You were such a promising pupil. You have so many natural abilities, superior to any among the Jedi. You were even able to see the arrogance and faults of the Jedi Council, and you throw it all away. For what? Do you expect their love, their praise? If so, you are even a greater fool than I anticipated."

"Tell me, what do you think the council will say when they learn that you betrayed them, that you broke their ancient code by secretly having married and impregnated a woman, and a member of the galactic senate no less?"

Anakin continued to move in a slow circle, his dark cape trailing behind him. He could see that Palpatine was trying to manipulate him, trying to get him to unleash his anger, and he was determined not to let the Sith Lord have his way.

They continued to circle one another as Sidious continued his tirade. "Don't you see, Anakin? You _are_ Sith. You are the very thing you're fighting. You are at the very core of the Jedi order, even on the council itself, and yet you lie to them, you deceive them, and for what? Glory? Power? Dominion?"

Anakin was quickly tiring of his feeble attempts to still win him over to the dark side. "Where is she, Sidious? Where's my wife?"

Palpatine let out a slow, deliberate laugh that seemed to chill Anakin to the bone. "I'm afraid the senator has come to a rather….untimely death," he said with an evil grin.

Anakin's anger flashed for only a moment, as he quickly reached out and felt the presence of his wife nearby, but more importantly he could feel that she was not in any immediate danger. He was somewhat surprised as he saw her head appear from around an ornate vase behind Palpatine. A wave of relief rushed over him to see her alive and well, and he quickly returned his attention to the Sith Lord before him.

"This will be a day long remembered," Anakin said, his voice calm and steady as he spoke what he knew to be true. "All you've fought for, all your years of planning, all the lies, deceit, and murder you've used to frame your evil architecture will crumble to the ground with your death."

As if on queue with Anakin's words, the Jedi Knights and Jedi Masters led by Yoda landed in the main square, and immediately began to storm the entrance to the palace, dispatching guard after guard of the Chancellor's elite forces.

Darth Sidious foamed angrily through his clenched teeth, "You could have been the greatest Sith Lord the universe has ever known, but now, young Skywalker, you will die."

Darth Sidious raised his fingers and pointed them at Anakin as he unleashed a tremendously powerful stream of Sith lightning at his opponent that fed off of all the anger, hatred, and darkness that consumed Palpatine's very soul.

Anakin merely raised both hands before him, absorbing the lightning in two luminous spheres encircling his hands and storing this ominous power that seemed to have an endless source.

This was raw, tainted power that carried with it the essence of the dark side of the force, and Anakin could feel it tempting him, begging him to partake of its awesome power. The Chosen One's will, however, was too strong.

Sidious continued to increase the power of his attack, grinding and baring his teeth which only served to distort his already evil countenance. Wave after wave poured forth from the well of his degeneracy, yet he soon saw that this was fruitless.

Anakin was completely calm and at peace, and changing this energy of corruption into the true form of the force. Palpatine stopped his attack, his fear and confusion radiating through the room. To his consternation, a smile came to Anakin's lips.

"Now, Lord Sidious, you will see the true power of the force." Anakin held both hands before him in clenched fists as thick beams of pure light and power shot forth and completely engulfed Palpatine's body in a brilliant energy.

Palpatine screamed in agony as the very energy he would have used to kill Anakin coursed through his body, searing and deforming his flesh. The mutilated body of the pathetic Sith Lord writhed in pain upon the cold floor of his very throne room, pleading for mercy.

Anakin stopped his onslaught, and looked down upon the man he once called friend and mentor, a look of sadness covering his features. "You could have been a force of good in the galaxy. You could have helped so many people, and strengthened the republic. Instead, you send the galaxy spiraling into a war that has consumed countless lives over the past three years, and for what? Do you have the power you so endlessly crave? Have you seen your darkest dreams realized?"

Palpatine slowly forced himself to his hands and knees, his hatred and pain feeding into his very soul, the dark side of the force coursing through is veins.

As Palpatine stood to face Anakin, the young Jedi remarked, "All I see before me is a broken, old man who finally realizes his dream is over, and death is standing at his doorstep."

Palpatine let out a cold, hollow cackle that sent a shiver down Padme's spine as she watched the battle from her hiding place behind the vase. "Your words are as empty as your threats, young Skywalker," Palpatine hissed.

His eyes were now a deep yellow that took Anakin somewhat by surprise. "Only now, in the end, will you understand." Palpatine's face turned into a vicious snarl as his lightsaber shot down into his hand, the red blade coming to life as he flung himself in a spiral flight determined to cut Anakin down in a ruthless manner.

Anakin's blade instantly activated as he met Sidious's saber with a resilience that the Sith Lord had never before encountered. This only served to aggravate Palpatine further, and he redoubled his efforts to cut Skywalker down where he stood.

Anakin's blade was perfectly matching the Sith's advances with immaculately timed parries and strikes that astounded Padme in their excellence. She had never before seen a lightsaber duel, and its grace and elegance, combined with the obvious skill of these two men before her, filled her with an immense awe. She could not help but admire the form of her husband as he expertly twirled his lightsaber around his body, almost encompassing him in a brilliant blue light.

Palpatine's anger increased exponentially as he found his adversary meeting his every strike and discerning his every feint. He put his entire command of the dark side of the force into this battle, pushing his body beyond its natural limits in order to defeat his foe.

Anakin, however, was fighting with a poise and ease that was seldom seen among lightsaber duelists. The long lost art of Dayoro was finally being used for its intended purpose, and almost without thought by the wielder, so naturally did it come to him. He even found himself improvising and adding different combinations that would allow him to not give ground, and afford him even greater protection.

But above all, he was fascinated by the lightsaber style of the dark lord before him, discerning its every nuance and feeling the raw power and domination that flowed through it.

He found secret delight in the fact that he was witnessing a lightsaber form that had been lost to the galaxy over six thousand years ago. Every arc, every twist, every manipulation of Sidious's blade was being permanently etched into the mind of the Chosen One as their blades hissed and crackled in a fierce struggle for supremacy.

Anakin had learned so much about swordplay over the past year, and his discernment through the force so powerful that he could see in his minds eye Tulak Hord's ancient technique, somewhat surprised that Darth Sidious's mastery did not fully coincide with what he instinctively knew to be the simplest and most effective way in which to wield it.

Each passing moment added more and more to the intricate yet perfect puzzle before him, and after only 10 minutes of battle, Anakin fully comprehended and mastered the long lost form of Tulak Hord.

Sidious felt his strength and endurance giving way, which only served to aggravate him further. Anakin merely laughed and said, "What, already tired? I'm just getting warmed up."

Palpatine had been driven mad beyond possible belief. "This is impossible," he spat. "No one can withstand the form of Tulak Hord."

Anakin merely smiled in response. "I guess it might help if you were doing it correctly. You were a half a second slow on your upswing, and then you should have thrust forward instead of feinting to the left. Here, let me show you."

Anakin then unleashed his attack, perfectly melding the form of Tulak Hord with the Dayoro he had just been using. He pressed upon his adversary with such ferocity that Palpatine had no choice but retreat. The Sith Lord fought desperately to maintain some control, but Anakin was relentless, and only seconds later Palpatine's right hand, severed cleanly at the wrist, lay on the stone floor as Padme let out a quiet gasp.


	14. A Twist of Fate

Sidious's blade leapt through the force into Anakin's left hand, instantly igniting as both red and blue beams were held at the dark lord's throat.

"Well, isn't this familiar," Anakin said evenly as Palpatine panted heavily, drained from the strenuous battle now past.

The Sith Lord raised his arms up as if trying to surrender as he glanced toward the vase where he had heard a slight noise only moments earlier.

"Well what are you waiting for, Skywalker?" Palpatine goaded. "We all know you're capable of murdering an unarmed opponent. And here you feign adherence to the lofty goals of the dogmatic Jedi order. I can feel your anger. I can feel your hatred. Kill me, strike me down with all of your anger, and your journey toward the dark side will be complete!"

Anakin merely smiled coolly and said, "Your hollow lies mean nothing to me. I have defeated the last of the Sith. I have fulfilled my prophecy as the Chosen One, and the galaxy shall never again have to deal with the likes of you."

"The Sith will rise again," Palpatine retorted, but Anakin merely laughed in response.

"Although I would welcome the challenge, even you know deep inside your empty, black soul that the Sith die forever with you. Although the dark side will always tempt those who succumb to its silent lure, never again will the ancient Sith ways and teachings be known in the universe."

Palpatine knew what he said was true, and that only fueled his hatred. He desired more than anything to hurt Anakin, to make him suffer, to leave him with a wound that would fester for the rest of his life, and he knew just what to do.

His eerie cackle echoed through the spacious throne room. "My dear Anakin, I'm afraid you should have killed me when you had the chance." Palpatine's grin turned into a vicious scowl as he reached out with the dark side of the force and crushed the larynx of Padme Amidala Skywalker.

Anakin felt through the force Padme's sudden anxiety as she frantically fought to breathe. "No!" Anakin screamed as he reached out with his tremendous power and used the force to simultaneously shatter every bone in Palpatine's body, hearing the former Sith Lord's deafening screams as the two blades scissored to cleanly sever the head of his former mentor and friend.

A tremendous gust of dark energy tore from the body of the dead Sith Lord and filled the throne room before it disappeared into nothingness, the living force replacing the chasm where a vacuum remained from the corrupted power of the vile being that was now destroyed forever.

-----------------------------------

Obi-Wan and Yoda were fighting side by side in the courtyard, their lightsabers swinging in graceful arcs as they cut down clone after clone. Yoda drew back his arm, and threw his lightsaber into a clone commander, running up and jumping on his falling body to pull out his lightsaber and pounce on the next clone before the dead commander even hit the ground. Only a handful of troopers remained when they both felt a great disturbance in the force.

Anakin had projected his grief and anguish in a tremendous wave that affected every Jedi and force sensitive being in the galaxy, and caused many to lose their strength and stumble because of the intensity of the sorrow that seemed to wound the force itself.

Obi-Wan shot a troubled glance to Yoda and said, "Master Yoda, I'll have to leave the rest to you and the others. I'm going to help Anakin." With that, he turned and sped toward the palace entrance.

------------------------------------

Anakin ran over to the vase where his wife lay as fast as the force could take him. He took her in his arms as she frantically struggled for breath, tears running down her face as she clung to his robes with all the strength she possessed in her dying body.

Anakin held her tightly, tears spilling down his cheeks as his wife began to weaken, mouthing his name as he tried to regain his inner calm in order to summon the force and try to heal his dying wife.

Obi-Wan burst into the room to the horrible scene before him. Padme lay in Anakin's arms, the last traces of life leaving her limp body. A lump rose in his throat as he felt the pain of his friend and brother. He wanted to rush over and be with his former padawan to help him through this terrible moment, but understood that right now Anakin needed to be alone with his wife.

Anakin recalled his own mother in his arms this way over three years ago. He remembered the sound of her weak voice, her soft touch on his face as she recognized her son. He keenly recalled his utter feeling of helplessness as his mother, his kind, gentle, loving mother, died in his arms.

And then he remembered his whispered promise on that day as he picked up that sacred dirt that covered her shallow grave and let it sift through his clenched fingers. _I wasn't strong enough to save you, Mom. I wasn't strong enough. But I promise, I won't fail you again_.

As these words echoed through Anakin's mind, he felt the most intense feeling of love and comfort that he could imagine as he was centered again with the force.

Obi-Wan watched in amazement as Anakin placed a hand over the throat of his wife, and a soft blue light appeared under his touch.

Anakin willed his beloved wife's trachea and larynx to be whole again, feeling them form under his fingertips. He then focused with all his might and transferred some of his life energy into his motionless wife in his arms.

He blinked away his tears as he saw his angel's brown eyes flutter open and stare directly into his.

"Ani," was all she was able to say before her husband bent down and kissed her with all the love he carried for her in the depths of his soul. He ruefully pulled away, tears running down his cheeks. "I thought I lost you, Angel."

Padme reached up and wiped away his tears, her own now mingling with his. "You'll never lose me Anakin, never. Even if I died I'd be with you." She pulled his face to her own and kissed him with an equal passion.

They held each other for a few moments in a tight embrace when Obi-Wan cleared his throat in the corner.

A deep blush filled Padme's cheeks as she saw that their moment wasn't as private as she'd liked to believe, and then the color quickly drained when she realized its implications. A frightened look quickly covered her features, and Anakin brought his hand to her face and slowly caressed her cheek. "It's alright, Padme. I told him about us."

A wave of relief rushed over her as Obi-Wan approached the happy couple.

"I assure you it was quite a shock," Obi-Wan said, not quite sure what to say, "but I've promised not to say a word to anyone. Speaking of which, if you don't want the Jedi order to know, I suggest you end your embrace before they arrive."

---------------------------------------

Anakin and Padme walked hand in hand through the lush grasses of Onderon, the evidences of the former battle all around them.

The Jedi had met in Palpatine's throne room as they briefly celebrated their victory and the destruction of the Sith forever. It was decided that the following day the Jedi council would convene and Anakin would relate the events of the day to be recorded and chronicled in the annals of the Jedi order.

Obi-Wan had suggested that someone escort Senator Amidala home, and Anakin jumped at the opportunity, thankful again for his friend's intrusion.

He was grateful that Padme was not yet showing, as that would certainly arouse suspicion by all. Plus, he knew that it would be a tight fit in his cockpit for the both of them, even as slender as his wife currently was.

R2D2 whistled and beeped excitedly as they approached the starfighter.

"Good work R2," Anakin said as he carefully examined his ship. "It looks like it will easily hold up until I can make some permanent repairs. I owe you one." R2 whistled an affectionate response as Anakin and Padme boarded the starfighter.

----------------------------------------

Anakin held Padme in his lap with his arms around her waist, her head resting on his chest and neck as they both gazed lazily at the stars streaking around them en route to Coruscant. Anakin gave his wife an extra little squeeze as she turned her head to kiss his cheek.

"I've been meaning to ask you something," he said, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Padme looked at him quizzically. "What is it?" she asked.

"Palpatine told me that you had been killed," Anakin said, "and I could tell he thought you were dead. How did you manage to escape?"

Anakin listened with unabashed awe as Padme recounted the details of her dungeon imprisonment.

"You mean to tell me that you single-handedly took out two of Palpatine's personal guards, and all without even a weapon?" he asked incredulously.

"I guess you shouldn't mess with me, huh," Padme laughed, gently elbowing him in the ribs.

"I'd be much too frightened to mess with a Senator," Anakin said playfully, touching the side of her face and turning it up to his own before kissing her deeply.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note: This isn't quite over, a few chapters are left.


	15. Secrets Revealed

Anakin and Padme lay in their spacious bed in their luxurious apartment on Coruscant. Padme lay close to him, her right leg resting over his and her right arm draped across his chest. Anakin held her close with his right arm while he traced along the length of her arm with the fingertips of his left hand.

He reveled in her presence, the vanilla smell of her hair inundating his senses as she slept beside him. He stared absently at the ceiling, his mind playing over the events that had just transpired, all the while wondering of the possible implications to his family after what he must do tomorrow.

He turned his attention back to his wife, and watched her body gently rise and fall with each breath as he reached out through the force to feel an even greater sense of oneness with her and his unborn child. To his surprise, he felt two distinct entities growing within her womb.

_We're going to have twins!_ he thought excitedly, as he felt Padme gently stir next to him. He stopped caressing her arm briefly so as to not wake her up, and felt her tighten her grip around him in response.

"Please don't stop, that felt wonderful," she said, eyes still closed.

Anakin resumed his caress as he placed a kiss gently on his wife's forehead. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I thought you were sleeping."

Padme's eyes fluttered open as she looked up at her husband. "Something wrong?" she asked as she realized he sounded as if he hadn't fallen asleep yet.

"I'm just thinking about tomorrow," he said, not wanting her to worry with him.

Padme propped herself up on her elbow to look down into her husband's eyes. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"Padme, I've decided to tell the council that we're married."

"But why?" she asked, slightly confused. "I thought being a Jedi Master meant so much to you."

"That is the very reason I must tell them," he said, gazing at her beautiful face. "They have placed so much trust in me, and I can't go on deceiving them any longer."

"What do you think they'll do?" she asked.

"I will definitely be released from the council, and probably even be expelled from the Jedi order, even in light of my actions in helping to end the war and destroy the Sith."

Padme looked at the obvious sadness in her lover's face, and it made her heart melt. Just as quickly as it had come, however, she noticed that sorrow wash away as a certain light now seemed to emanate from within his soul.

"This is truly for the best, Padme. Now I'll be able to devote all my time and energy to being the best husband and father I can possibly be. Padme, just think of it. We'll never be separated again! Maybe I can take Captain Typho's job as the head of your security. After all, it's well known that you have a habit of getting yourself into trouble," he said with a grin, "and who better to protect you?"

Padme lowered her head and rested it on her husbands shoulder so he couldn't see the look of sadness that she suddenly felt.

"Anakin, as wonderful as that sounds, I'm afraid that I will have to give up my position as Senator," she said slowly. "I can't imagine the scandal that would arise from a Senator being the cause of the Chosen One's expulsion from the Jedi order, let alone the betrayal the queen and the people of Naboo must feel to find out that I deceived them by carrying on a secret marriage."

"It's not like we were immoral in any way," Anakin protested. "So what if we married in secret. We're in love! Surely they must see that."

"Some might understand," Padme interjected, "but many people will inevitably reason that if I can hide a marriage from them, I certainly could be capable of hiding other things too, especially when considering what Palpatine managed to hide. Remember, he was from Naboo as well."

Anakin considered this a moment, and then whispered softly, "I'm sorry Angel. I know how much serving the people has meant to you."

Padme suddenly lifted up her head and brought her hand to Anakin's cheek. "Don't be sorry," she protested, a new found resolve in her. "After all, I wanted to settle down with a family before I was ever called by the queen to be a Senator. Now we can be together, live together with nothing to hide. We can raise our children, love them, watch them grow, and nothing will take us apart ever again. Anakin, this is what I've always wanted."

She bent down and kissed him lovingly, her happiness and excitement radiating through to him.

Anakin pulled away momentarily to ask, "Do you think we could live at your parents mansion by the lake in Naboo?"

Padme smiled eagerly at the thought. "I don't see why not. I can give my parents a great deal for a down payment with all the credits I've saved since beginning my public service. Darred hates the water, so Sola doesn't go out there often. And my parents haven't been out there in years. This would actually give them an excuse to get out there."

Padme was joyfully considering the potential of this wonderful idea when she looked lovingly down at her husband. "I love you Anakin Skywalker," she said, bending down to kiss him again.

"Padme, I love you more than I can possibly convey with words," Anakin said as he embraced her, thrilled for the future and the opportunities and possibilities that lay before them.

----------------------------------

Anakin slowly approached the entrance to the Jedi temple and took a deep breath to try to calm his nerves. _Even though I know this is the right thing, it's so hard to do_, he thought to himself as he hesitated slightly before entering the magnificent structure. He quickly saw Obi-Wan headed towards him and smiled.

"I must say Anakin, you look a little nervous," Obi-Wan commented as he approached his friend. "Something the matter?"

Anakin looked his long time friend in the eye, hoping he could share some sort of insight that would make this easier. "Obi-Wan, I've decided to tell the council that Padme and I are married."

Obi-Wan was momentarily shocked at his friend's response, but then put his hand on Anakin's shoulder and smiled gently.

"Anakin, this is the right thing to do, and I'm proud of you for it." He then hesitated as the full repercussions of his friends actions came to him, and his face became somewhat grave. "I know what this may mean for you, brother, and for that, I am sorry."

Anakin simply nodded in response. "To be honest, I should have done this long ago. I welcome whatever decision the council comes to."

Obi-Wan seemed somewhat sullen and downcast. The thought of his friend expelled from the order, the Chosen One of prophecy who destroyed the Sith forever, the one who saved his life time and time again and with whom he had countless adventures, filled him with an intense sorrow. Obi-Wan couldn't imagine what life in the order would be without his best friend.

"Anakin," he said suddenly, "I've come to a decision. If the council decides to expel you from the order, then your fate will be my own. I will resign from the council, and leave the order with you."

Anakin was too taken aback to speak, completely overwhelmed by his friend's devotion. He reached out and embraced the man who, outside of his wife, was his best friend.

"You're a good man, Obi-Wan," Anakin managed. "But the galaxy needs you. Besides, this will give me a chance to spend time with my family."

"My decision is made," Obi-Wan said simply, and then stopped short, somewhat confused by Anakin's choice of words. "What do you mean by 'family'?" he asked.

A wry smile came to Anakin's lips. "Nothing gets past you, does it? Obi-Wan, Padme's pregnant. I'm going to be a father."

Obi-Wan's shock quickly became a look of happiness as he embraced his friend again. "Anakin, that's the best news I've heard in a long time….a long time. If your kids are anything like you," he added, "then this universe is in trouble." Their happy moment was interrupted by a message that the council was waiting for them.

-----------------------------------

Anakin stood in the center of the council room, recounting what had happened in his confrontation with Darth Sidious. As he came to the conclusion of his narration, he remained in the center of the room, what he must now do clear in his mind.

"Something more to say have you?" Yoda inquired.

Anakin took a deep breath to prepare himself for his carefully chosen words.

"Fellow Jedi Masters, there is something I feel I must share with you, and I apologize for waiting so long to do so." Anakin glanced at Obi-Wan before continuing, who nodded slightly to his friend.

"I fear that I have violated your trust, brethren," he said slowly. "You see, a little over three years ago I was married in secret to Senator Padme Amidala."

A simultaneous gasp was heard throughout the room. Several murmurs were heard throughout the chamber, and Anakin caught an intense glare from Mace Windu, who silenced the other council members.

"Do you realize what this means, Master Skywalker?" Mace said coldly.

"I know that what I have done is in utter violation of the Jedi code, and carries with it the strictest penalties, but if I had the choice presented to me again, I would make the same decision without a moment's hesitation."

At this comment, the room burst into a chaotic swirl of indignant accusations amid several cries for justice. Mace Windu calmed the group down, and turned his level gaze to Anakin.

"How could you do this to us?" he asked, his disappointment visible to all. "How could you lie to us day after day, especially when we made you a Jedi Master?"

Anakin resolutely responded, "I don't expect any to fully understand my course of action, but it is what seemed best at the time. Being a Jedi was one of the most important things in my life, and it ultimately cost me the life of my mother. I don't expect anyone here to understand that level of sacrifice or commitment, because none of you had to go through it. But as much as this order means to me, I found something that means even more, namely Padme. I thought I could be with her and maintain my position in the order, but I came to realize that it's not fair to you, me, or my wife. That is why I tell you this now."

The grumblings continued amid an almost palpable tension in the air, and Anakin saw that he must bring this matter to a close once and for all.

"Fellow council members, as I have violated not only the code, but also your trust, and in order to prevent friends from making choices that would further injure the order," he said, looking directly at Obi-Wan, "I would like to now inform you of my decision to resign from the council and the Jedi order itself."

The room suddenly took on a deathly silence as all stared in shock at what they had just heard. It seemed impossible to all that the greatest Jedi in the entire history of the order would willingly give up his place without even giving them a chance to keep him in the order. Obi-Wan in particular had a very solemn appearance as he realized what his friend had done in order to keep him from making a decision he might later regret.

"A dark day for the Jedi order this is," Yoda said gravely, his eyes never leaving the floor. "Happy were we to have fellowship with you, Master Skywalker. Accomplished much good for the Jedi order you have. Strong in the force and a powerful Jedi you are. Difficult for all of us to hear this is."

"I thank you for your words, Master Yoda," Anakin managed. "And I hope that all of you know how hard this is for me to do, but it truly is the best thing for me, my family, and even the Jedi order itself. Justice must me met, and I believe this to be the best way. I will truly miss my time with you, but above all, I hope you know that if you ever need me for anything, I would be happy to help you or fight along side you again, whatever the situation may require."

With these words, Anakin bowed slightly, turned, and left the room, every eye watching the greatest Jedi in history leave the order behind him.

"The will of the force, this is," Yoda said once he had gone. Obi-Wan turned and gave him a puzzled look.

"Such a powerful Jedi is bound to have exceptionally strong children who will serve and protect the galaxy for generations to come," Mace said in agreement, as if answering Obi-Wan's unstated question, "even if they ultimately decide to operate outside of the Jedi order."


	16. Resignation

"But Padme, I don't understand," queen Apailana protested. "The senate is calling for your nomination to succeed Chancellor Palpatine and you now tell me of your resignation? How do you expect me to take this news?"

Padme was dumbfounded. After Anakin's self imposed exile from the Jedi order, they had traveled to Naboo so that Padme could resign as Senator in person. She felt that she owed it to the queen, a friend and former princess of Theed whom she recommended run for queen herself after queen Jamillia sided with the separatists, but even on Coruscant she had heard nothing about the senate submitting her name for the position of Supreme Chancellor.

"I'm sorry, your majesty, but my decision is final. There is nothing more I can say."

The queen was not satisfied, and immediately dismissed her advisors. Once they were alone, she turned again to her friend. "Padme, I've known you for years, and this isn't like you. I ask you, as a friend, please tell me what's going on."

Padme looked at her, and then at Anakin who was standing a little behind her who only smiled and gave an affirmative nod.

The former Queen of Naboo turned to the current monarch and said, "Your majesty, I'd like you to meet my husband, Anakin Skywalker."

Anakin politely bowed, and the normally loquacious queen was at a loss for words after what she had just heard.

"Your husband?" she stammered. "Why did you not tell me of this earlier?"

Padme apologetically answered her friend. "I couldn't do that. It wasn't anything personal at all; it's just that we couldn't tell anyone. Anakin was a Jedi, I was a Senator, and our marriage was forbidden. But now, we've decided to spend the rest of our lives away from those responsibilities and obligations that would keep us separated. We can spend every day with each other and love one another while we grow old together in the place of our choosing."

"Even though I believe this would be enough to warrant my actions," Padme continued, "I don't want you to think that this decision is purely self motivated. When you consider our secret marriage in connection with the recent actions and hidden agendas of the former Chancellor, you'll understand that Naboo can't handle another scandal. But I won't lie to you. This is what I want, what I've always dreamed of, and if you take a moment to imagine the joy and happiness I can have with my husband, children, and family, you'll understand that this is really the only choice to make."

Queen Apailana was silent, completely moved by Padme's words. She finally spoke, only to say, "I hope that one day I can have a love come into my life that completely consumes me, as I can see you obviously have found. I will personally see to it that a ceremony is held in your honor, where we will bestow upon you Naboo's highest award. On behalf of Naboo, I thank you for your years of service and sacrifice, and I personally thank you for all you have done for me."

Padme was deeply moved by her friend's words, and let the formalities fall aside as she gave the queen a warm hug. "Thank you for understanding," she whispered.

-----------------------------------

Anakin set down a rather large and heavy piece of luggage with a grunt. "Just how many outfits can one woman have?" he muttered, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"I heard that Anakin Skywalker," Padme retorted, doing her best to maintain a stern voice. "Besides, you're supposed to be this powerful Jedi, why don't you just use the force to move everything?"

"I like to do things on my own sometimes," he responded before taking a long drink of water. "Plus, you wouldn't want this impressive physique to just waste away now would you?"

Sola rolled her eyes as Padme laughed freely. "You do have a point there," she said, pulling Anakin close into a lingering kiss.

"I think we should teach Anakin a lesson and go shopping after we're done," Sola commented, setting a box of shoes next to the trunk Anakin had just set down. Padme put her hands on her hips and smiled in response. "Sola, I think that's a fantastic idea."

Anakin sighed deeply, and finally couldn't help but laugh. "I hope our daughter doesn't have your shopping habits, sweetheart."

Padme slapped him on the arm, and Anakin, realizing his error, felt a stern rebuke coming.

"Anakin, that was supposed to be a surprise," she said, as Sola's eyes widened.

"You guys are having a little girl?" she asked happily.

"Well, we're actually getting the best of both worlds," Padme responded as she ran her hands over her now bulging stomach, her face glowing with happiness.

"Twins!" Sola shouted. "Oh, this is wonderful. Finally Ryoo and Pooja can play with some cousins," she said merrily. "I can't wait till Darred finds out."

"Why don't you call him right now?" Padme asked. "Isn't he supposed to get home today anyway?"

Sola nodded happily. "Yes, after four long months, he'll finally be back home."

"How long will he get to stay this time?" Anakin asked.

"Who knows," Sola responded sullenly. "I just hope it's longer than last time. He was only here for two weeks," she said, as she hurried into the next room.

Anakin and Padme watched eagerly as Sola contacted her husband, a hologram of his torso appearing on the communications console before them.

"Hey dear," he asked, "something wrong?"

"No, just wanted to find out when you were going to be here," Sola said anxiously. "I have some good news for you."

Anakin and Padme winced as they saw Darred's disappointed look spread across his face. "I'm sorry dear, but I won't be able to come home today. I….had something come up here on Telos that I have to take care of."

Sola fought to keep the frustration out of her voice as she addressed her husband. "But you've been gone for over four months," she interjected. "I thought you were off duty now. What's so important that you can't come home and see your family?"

"I'm sorry, but it can't be helped. I'll contact you when I know the day I'll be able to come home," he said quickly, obviously uncomfortable in continuing this conversation. "See you then." With these parting words, Darred's image faded out, and Anakin suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable, especially having to look at the hurt that covered Sola's features.

Padme approached her sister and said gently, "Sola, I'm so sorry."

Sola turned away and walked towards a window, wiping a tear away with her finger. "Don't be sorry, Padme. He'll be home soon," she said, gazing out the window to hide the tears from her sister and brother in law. Padme walked over to her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"I love this place so much," Sola said at last. "I'm so glad you're moving here Padme."

Sola gazed out the window over the water as feelings of nostalgia flooded her completely.

"I remember swimming out to that island with you every summer when we were younger. We'd just lie on the beach and bask in the sunlight until it dried us off. We didn't have a care in the world, no responsibilities, no worries. Who would've thought I'd marry someone that hated the water?" she said, feeling the irony of the situation. "At least now I can finally get Darred out here, even if it is under the pretense of visiting you guys."

Just the mention of his name brought fresh tears to her eyes. "Enough reminiscing, I'll go and get some more boxes," she said, hurrying out of the room.

Padme watched her go, and felt so sorry for her sister's situation. She walked over to Anakin, suddenly longing to be held in his arms. "I wish there was something I could do to help her," she said, finding comfort in the embrace of her husband.

"Leave that to me," Anakin said, his hand stroking her hair as he held his wife close to him.

-----------------------------------------------

Note: Sorry guys, I posted this earlier today and for some reason it won't appear now. Looks like I'll have to try again.


	17. Wretched Hive

Anakin's sleek starfighter sped quickly to Telos as a light flashed on the panel before him, signifying an incoming transmission. He pressed a button, and saw Obi-Wan's image appear on the console.

"Anakin, it's great to see you again," the hologram before him said, much as if Anakin was communicating in person with his friend.

"It's good to see you again too, Obi-Wan," Anakin replied. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I just wanted to inform you that the Jedi council has decided to award you an honor never bestowed upon another in the history of the Jedi, at least for one who left the order. They have voted to put a statue of you in the Jedi archives along side the greatest of the Jedi Masters."

Anakin was overwhelmed beyond words. To have a statue made of him and placed in the great hall of the Jedi archives seemed impossible, as that honor was only given to the greatest and most loyal of their order. To have one who had violated the code and even left the order given this honor was unimaginable.

Many times he had walked along the great hall and admired the renditions of the former Jedi who had long since passed on. There were maybe only 20 such statues, as to be considered for such recognition required a truly important feat to be accomplished that would forever affect the lives of the Jedi who came after. It truly humbled Anakin that the council would still consider him for this in light of his decisions that ultimately forced him to leave their fellowship forever.

Obi-Wan sensed his astonishment, and added, "More than anything, Anakin, this is a testament of what you have done for not only the Jedi order, but for the entire galaxy. I don't believe there is a person living today who should not be forever grateful and indebted to you for what you've accomplished."

"I don't even know what to say, Obi-Wan," Anakin started. "I never would have thought this possible, not in a million years. This is truly an honor, and I look forward to personally thanking the council for this." He hesitated a moment, and then added. "I get the feeling that this news isn't the only reason you called."

Obi-Wan merely smiled in response. "You know me too well, my friend. I also wanted to see how you were doing. It's become a little dull here without your antics," he remarked with a hint of sadness in his voice, "and somehow I think it's only going to get worse over time."

Anakin felt for his friend. He missed their comradery, and wondered when he'd get a chance to work with him again.

As this thought came to his mind, he centered himself, letting the force flow through him as he sought to see the future. After a few moments, he opened his eyes and said to Obi-Wan, "We have many battles yet ahead of us, my friend. I know we will fight side by side again. Remember, even though I am no longer with the order, I know that situations will arise when you could use my help, and I would be more than happy to oblige."

Obi-Wan smiled gratefully, not wanting to lose association with his best friend. "I only hope that's not too far into the future," he said, his spirits lifted somewhat.

"You sound like we're not going to see one another for a few years," Anakin interjected, and then added, "You do realize, Obi-Wan, that I fully expect you to have a hand in training my children."

Obi-Wan's jaw dropped in disbelief. "You want me to help you train your children?" he said, wondering if he had heard his former padawan correctly.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Anakin responded.

"Well, I guess someone will need to help curb their inevitable recklessness," Obi-Wan grinned, stoking his beard, "as I know that you will only encourage it."

Anakin laughed heartily. "You know me too well, Obi-Wan," he admitted.

"I do know you well, Anakin, so well in fact that I know the thrill of battle is in your very blood. Shall I expect to see the after effects of your future actions plastered all over the holonet?"

"Well," Anakin revealed with a lopsided grin, "I have been considering something that could ruffle a few feathers. I once told Qui-Gon that I had several dreams when I was a boy about freeing all the slaves on Tatooine," he said with resolve, "and I expect to do that soon. More than anything, though, I'm just looking forward to spending the majority of my time with my wife and children. Everything else takes a back seat to them."

"I couldn't think of a nobler mission for the Chosen One," Obi-Wan responded, "and I wish you luck." They both were silent for a moment, reflecting on their times spent together. "Well old friend," Obi-Wan added with a hint of sorrow, "I've got to head back to the council. They're sending me on a mission to the outer rim to help establish republic governments in former Separatist occupied regions, and I should be leaving shortly."

"That sounds like fun," Anakin mocked, pretending to yawn. "Good to see you're being put to good use."

Obi-Wan couldn't help but laugh. "Good bye, Anakin," he said, as his image faded out.

----------------------------------

It was a simple matter of hacking into the government's main computer system to track the ship registered to Darred Janren once Anakin landed on Telos, and he headed immediately to the triangulated location once the information was on the screen before him.

It was Anakin's first experience in this sector of Telos, and it didn't leave a good impression on him. In contrast to the meticulously clean and wealthy city center, this sector seemed to house the dregs of society.

Anakin looked in disgust at illegal substances openly trafficked at seemingly every corner. The few that attempted to offer their product to Anakin soon found themselves inexplicably destroying their product and heading home to rethink their lives.

Anakin at last found the club where Darred's craft was located, and entered a smoke filled room to see before him, as Obi-Wan would say, 'a wretched hive of scum and villainy.' Anakin always thought that a bit overdramatic on Obi-Wan's part, but the words seemed very apt for this establishment.

He immediately scanned the room, and saw that Darred was nowhere to be found. There was a large group of scantily clad women in the corner looking at him with wanton eyes, and he could easily read their lustful thoughts as most of them started to head in his direction.

He immediately left for the opposite end of the room where he saw two exceptionally large Gamorreans guarding the entrance to a darkened hallway. As he neared them, he reached out through the force, and telepathically communicated, _You never saw me. No one ever passed through without the express permission of your employer. _The guards sat motionless, without even so much as a squeal as Anakin entered the hallway. The disappointed women dejectedly turned around and headed back to their table.

Anakin slowed his movements as he approached the illuminated room at the end of the hallway. He used the force to manipulate the electromagnetic waves around him, bending the light so that he was invisible to all who would happen to look in his direction, and then dampened the sound waves that were created from the rustling of his tunic and the fall of his footsteps so that even the most sensitive ears of adept aliens couldn't hear his approach.

He came to a large room full of ex-soldiers and mercenaries, judging by their weaponry, most of whom were seated around a table playing pazaak. Darred was in the group, and the biggest of the men was goading him.

"Come on, Darred, we don't have all day. The cards in your hand aren't magically going to change by you staring at them," he barked, much to the amusement of his comrades.

Darred looked miserable, sweat streaming down his forehead as he anxiously tapped his fingers on the table.

Anakin's natural propensity for machinery and gadgets came to his advantage as he noticed a small camera in the corner of the room angled at Darred's cards. _Where is the receiver_, he thought as he then noticed a screen built into the wrist guard of the man goading Darred into playing. _Oh come on Darred, can't you tell these guys are cheating?_

A glance at the table revealed the deed to Darred's ship lying amongst a large pile of credits.

"I've got 19," Darred said with a weak smile, laying down his card.

"Sorry mate, you lose again," the mercenary said with a wicked smile, laying down a gold card for a total of 20."

"No, you…you can't, I need that to get back to my family," Darred stammered, starting to stand up and reach for the deed to his ship.

A dozen blasters were suddenly pointing toward him as his hand instantly recoiled.

"I guess you should have thought of that before you put it on the table," the mercenary replied, a scowl now replacing the evil grin he had earlier.

"At least give me a chance to win it back," Darred said, the desperation causing his voice to tremble.

Anakin had seen enough. He walked to the center of the room, easily manipulating the minds of the soldiers present with his incredible control of the force. "You never saw us here, Darred never gambled with you, and he never lost his ship," Anakin conveyed as he grabbed Darred and headed immediately for the exit.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note: This part is becoming longer than anticipated, but I hope you can bear with me. Maybe it means I should've gone into more detail on the other aspects of the story. Oh well, what can you do?


	18. Together Again

"Anakin, wh….what are you doing here?" Darred asked, astonished at what had just transpired.

"Saving your skin," Anakin retorted, "and believe me, had they not been cheating, I wouldn't have intervened." Darred could see that Anakin obviously wasn't in the mood to be trifled with, and kept silent. Anakin, however, was looking for some answers. "You mind telling me what's going on?" Anakin asked with a very impatient tone.

Darred's mind raced with how he should respond. _What do I tell him?_ Just as soon as this question popped into his consciousness, Anakin's accusing tone broke it into pieces. "Don't even try to lie to me either. In case you forget, I can just rip any information I want out of your thick head, whether you like it or not."

Darred knew that he needed to come clean once and for all. "I wouldn't expect you to understand," he began, frustrated at this turn of events.

"Try me," Anakin responded coldly.

Darred looked down at the ground, his pride not even allowing him to look up at his brother in law. "I've been a freighter pilot my whole life. I know it's not glamorous work, but I never went to the university, and up until a few years ago, it's always paid the bills."

Darred looked extremely uncomfortable, but it felt good to get this off his chest, so he continued. "It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, moving back in with the Naberries," he said, with mounting frustration.

"All I ever wanted was to provide for Sola and my children, make them happy and maybe even give them a couple of the nicer things in life. Do you realize the pressure I'm under married to the daughter of a man whose name is synonymous with wealth, influence, and respect here in Naboo?"

Anakin was about to point out the obvious fact that he too had married a Naberrie, but Darred just plowed on, seemingly oblivious to his blunder.

"I have wealth flaunted in my face every time I take a step into their home, even if they do live rather humbly for the resources at their disposal, and every moment I'm there eats away at me, reminding me of the things I can't provide for my family."

Darred was now pacing the walkway outside of the bar, still looking at the ground in front of him. "I had to do something, I had to try to get some money the only way I knew possible, but soon I became horribly addicted to games of chance, and the more and more I lost, the less and less I felt I could show my face around that home. Every time I walk through that doorframe it's like a dagger to my heart, a glaring accusation and a living reminder of the complete and utter failure that I am."

Everything became clear to Anakin as he watched his brother in law with a sense of pity. "I can't even look at my wife anymore without feeling like the slime of the earth at having to keep all this from her." Even Darred's voice now betrayed his desperation.

"And then there's you," he said, looking accusingly at Anakin. "I can't turn anywhere without seeing your picture on the holonet or hearing someone talking about your battle prowess in a passing conversation. And here I thought I had it bad before when I just had to feel like a failure in front of her parents, but being the 'other' son in law, they guy that hasn't accomplished anything in life or made anything of himself makes me feel like I'm completely worthless. Can you even begin to comprehend how hard this has been on me?"

Anakin pitied the man before him, and wished he knew what to say in order to alleviate some of the pain he was feeling. In the end, all he could manage was, "Darred, I can see the difficult situation you've been put it, but I need to tell you something that you aren't going to want to hear. You need to pull yourself together and stop acting like a nerf herder."

Darred's eyes shot up in surprise and hurt at his brother in law's comment, but Anakin needed to wake him up and bring him back to reality.

"You have a wife and children at home who love you more than anything, and do you really think they care that you don't make as much money as the guy down the street, or that you're not on the news every night? I think…..no, let me rephrase that, I know Sola knew exactly what she was getting herself into when she married you. Wealth and fame mean absolutely nothing in the grand scheme of things, so it's time you stop feeling sorry for yourself and become the husband and father that your wife and children need."

Darred felt pure anger wash over him at Anakin's brazen rebuke, but this was quickly replaced by humility in knowing that Anakin was right. He put his face in his hands and wept bitterly.

"I know I need to change," he managed, "but it's too late. I'm addicted to gambling now beyond my ability to control. I've completely ruined my life, and almost destroyed my family. If it weren't for Ruwee and Jobal, my wife and children would be out in the streets of Theed, or forced to live in the jungle like savages. I've sought help in the past, but I've been like this now for over five years, and I just can't control myself."

Anakin looked at the broken man before him, and desired more than anything to lift him from the mire through which he was wading. "Perhaps there is something I can do to help," he said softly.

Darred looked up suddenly, a fresh hope covering his features as he grasped at anything that might help him become the man he once was. "I'd do anything," he pleaded, "anything you ask!"

Anakin briefly hesitated as he thought of the young deck officer whose memory he had erased, and the utter failure of that experience. The same questions now flooded his mind as he looked upon his brother in law_. Can people change and be redeemed from their poor decisions? Will they make the right choices if they are presented with a second chance? Am I perpetuating misery and woe just because I take it upon myself to change someone's destiny? Do we even follow a predetermined destiny?_

Just looking at the miserable condition of the man before him made his choice an obvious one. _I refuse to believe that people can't recover from poor decisions, and I believe that everyone, no matter what they've done, deserves a chance at redemption_, he thought to himself.

"If you will do anything I ask," Anakin said, "then I want you to promise me something. I want you to promise to never again even enter a gambling establishment or play a game of chance, even for recreation. If you promise me this, then I will remove from your mind your overwhelming addiction."

"I promise, I promise," he said quickly, finally seeing a ray of hope enter his darkened world.

Anakin reached out with the force, and felt the mind of his brother in law, tracing along the gentle flowing of his neural pathways until he was able to locate and destroy the addictive impulse that was plaguing his relative. He felt a wave of relief wash through Darred as he severed the connection.

"You are a free man," Anakin said warmly, "now live your life the way you know you should."

"I don't know how to thank you," Darred said joyfully.

"Don't worry about it," Anakin responded, "but know that I left the memories of your addiction intact. I hope that this will help you to keep your promise, but it will also inevitably be a source of guilt for you until you can forgive yourself for what you've lost and cost your family these past five years."

Darred's guilt soon replaced the joy he felt at finally being free of his burden. "Please don't mention this to anyone," he said awkwardly, the foolishness of his actions hitting him full force.

"It's not my place," Anakin responded. "But I really think you should tell your wife about it."

"I will...someday. I promise." Darred said, just happy to feel like himself again.

"Don't worry," Anakin added as they turned to leave, "I think we both know that the Naberrie women are remarkably forgiving."

-------------------------------------

"What exactly did you do?" Padme asked, as she walked hand in hand with her husband along the terrace of their new home, amazed that Darred had come back with him and was now with Sola and their children.

"That's really not my place to say," Anakin said slowly, not wanting to disappoint his wife, but respecting Darred's wishes. "Darred will have to be the one to break the silence on this matter."

Padme looked a little frustrated at having to wait for an answer, but then just smiled and looked up at her husband.

"Well, I don't know what you said or did, but thank you for doing it. And here I thought I was the diplomat," she added with a slight smirk. Anakin grinned and added, "How do you know they weren't aggressive negotiations?" Padme only laughed in response. "I think Darred would have looked a lot more frightened as he got off the ship if that were the case."

They stopped walking as they both keenly remembered that this exact spot is where they shared their first kiss just a few years before.

Anakin pulled his wife close as he gazed into her eyes. He ran his fingers down the side of her face as she reached up to grab his hand. "I love you so much," Padme said as she looked into the eyes and admired the features of the man she loved with all her heart.

Anakin gently lifted her chin to bring her lips to his own as he kissed her passionately, letting his actions speak for him. They finally broke away, staring lovingly into one another's eyes before Padme turned to watch sunset over the lake.

She leaned into her husband as Anakin wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him while running his hands gently over her womb. "I can feel them kicking," he said excitedly as Padme wrapped her arms around his.

"Ani, how many children would you like to have?" she asked dreamily.

"As many as my wife would like," he said, gently kissing her neck, sensing her pleasure as his lips brushed across her skin.

Padme only smiled as she considered his words. "Good answer," she responded, wishing this moment would never end. After a few moments, she voiced her thoughts.

"I always wanted a big family," she said as the disappearing sun warmed them with its last remaining rays. "Maybe six kids or so."

Anakin just smiled as he held his wife in his arms. "That sounds wonderful, but know that I'll be happy no matter what," he said, picturing his life in the future with his wife and children.

_This is what truly matters in life,_ Anakin thought. He held his wife tightly as he pondered their situation; a husband and wife, together and complete in the love they had for one another, excited beyond belief at the prospect of becoming parents and bringing their children into the universe, to raise them and love them as best they could.

They both stood there at their home in Naboo, gazing off happily into the distance, unaware of the many adventures that awaited them in their future.

THE END

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Well guys, that's it. It's been quite fun writing this, but between all my other activities, and with as much tuition as I'm paying, I probably won't get around to a continuation of this or starting something else for a while. Recently breaking up with my girlfriend kind of allowed the time to do this as it is. I want to especially thank the following for their many reviews and support.

ibelieveintruelove

JessicaTheFair

Jedi Master Arie Skywalker

QueenNaberrie

ILDV

annependragon

**You guys are awesome. Thanks again for all the sweet (meaning awesome) reviews**.


End file.
